


Passions

by Mavican



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 12:08:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 56,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21969067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mavican/pseuds/Mavican
Summary: After a fight with Inuyasha, Kagome storms off with the intent of going home. On her way, she discovers an injured Sesshomaru. What seems to be a one in a life time meeting turns into something far more unexpected and intimate.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Comments: 131
Kudos: 648





	1. Chapter 1

"It's night already..." It was a dumb move to wander off; Kagome knew, but whenever she and Inuyasha fought, she usually acted irrationally, opting to venture home alone rather than having company to escort her.

Their argument had simply been over a cup of ramen, but it quickly escalated into something more than that- an argument about her placement in his life next to Kikyo.

Kikyo.

She couldn't compete with Kikyo, not with someone that had given their lives to Inuyasha, and even desired to have him in death, as creepy as it was.

There was no place for her at his side, not while she was living in the dead priestess' shadow.

It all came down to Inuyasha's choice, and lately, just lately, she was beginning to feel as though they were fated to be together, that he'd forever protect her despite their current circumstances...

And just like that, with one little argument, it had all fallen apart.

She owed him an apology, but she was sick of being the one that always apologized first. Whenever they made amends, she had to be the person to start.

Of course, she knew it had something to do with Inuyasha's troubled past of not trusting anyone for fear that they were out to get him. But it just wasn't fair! It wasn't fair to their relationship.

If they had a relationship going on, that was.

Kagome released an exasperated sigh. Her head tilted back as she continued to mutter "stupid" to herself as she clutched onto the straps of her backpack.

If she was half the priestess she was supposed to be, she would not have gotten riled up over some little argument.

If she was more like Kikyo, calm, cool, and collected, none of this would have happened. If she was more like Kikyo, she wouldn't need protecting all the time. If she was more like Kikyo, Inuyasha would not have wasted time in admitting his true feelings for her. Kikyo. Kikyo. Kikyo. Kikyo.

She was not Kikyo.

She was just the imitation of Kikyo, a reincarnation, half the marksman abilities, half the experience, half the-

A strong demonic aura pulsed.

Kagome immediately froze, and her azure eyes widened. A demon managed to sneak up on her, but she could not understand how. If anything, she would have sensed its aura, or at least felt its presence beforehand.

Maybe it was dying...maybe.

She felt her stomach tighten and churn in a nauseating knot.

She could not take any chances. She was out alone, and she knew that Inuyasha would never forgive himself if she got harmed.

Swallowing a lump that built in her throat, she hesitantly reached back to grasp the bow that was slung over her left arm, and she readied an arrow.

She knew that she had a chance if she snuck up on the demon first before it noticed her there.

"Okay." She hesitantly proceeded forward towards where the pulsation came from. She did not have anything to fear, she tried to convince herself. She had her Sacred Arrows and her Jewel shards. If anything, the demon had a right to be afraid of her, not the other way around...or at least that was what she told herself.

It was going to take Inuyasha hours to find her. She had been walking an entire day, so he was well behind. She'd have to handle this one on her own.

Despite her caution, the threat grew less and less imminent. The aura was weak, really weak, so weak in fact that Kagome was nearly worried for the demon's sake.

Her steps eventually lead her to a clearing, and the presence of the demon was closest there.

Standing still inside the protection the standing trees provided, she merely glanced about, hoping to find the demon before she made herself known.

However, she merely saw blood...by Kami there was a lot of blood...

She was nearly paralyzed by the sight of it.

The demon was wounded, or already dead she gathered.

It wasn't a threat. Kagome released a breath she not did realize she had been holding. Blatantly, she stepped out of the clearing and tracked after the blood trail.

She still had to check it out.

Whatever wounded or killed the demon was more than likely still in the surrounding area, and she needed to see exactly what she was dealing with.

However, as she continued on around the form of a large tree, her steps grew to a halt. She had spotted the demon on the other side of it, and she was forced to remain where she was once she saw the silver mane of the demon's hair.

"Sesshomaru..." She breathed.

He wasn't dead, no not yet. She could see the rising and falling of his chest- no matter how faint it was. He was on his back, his limbs sprawled out from himself. The crimson void of his eyes was present...glowing, yet they were dazed, as if he was in some sort of trance. The white of his kimono was stained heavily with blood and was tattered, revealing the harsh and deep lacerations marring his flesh. By the odd angle of his left arm, it was broken, and other severe wounds accompanied it.

Kagome was stunned.

It was Inuyasha's older brother and enemy. He despised Inuyasha, and had even tried to kill her a couple of times, and nearly succeeded. He even allied himself with Naraku in an effort to steal the Tetsuaiga and seal Inuyasha's demise.

What would she do?

She wasn't responsible for him. If she left him in his current condition, no one would blame her...though she'd feel guilty. If she wasted more time thinking about it, he was going to die- if it wasn't too late to save him already. Besides, whatever demon that did this to Sesshomaru was not around anymore, at least that was what Kagome sensed. Inuyasha wasn't around, so Sesshomaru didn't need to fear dying at his hands- not that Inuyasha would kill Sesshomaru while he was this powerless. If anything, he was going to be pissed for her helping him in the first place.

Sesshomaru was definitely not going to be pleased to know that she tried to help him, even while he was at the brink of death. He was a prideful demon and would rather die than accept human-aid.

Hopefully, she didn't end up on the wrong side of his claws.

Once she wrapped his wounds, she'd leave, she decided. It was the only way to steer clear of both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's wrath. She simply didn't need to be caught helping him.

In spite of her decision, Kagome did not realize exactly the gravity of Sesshomaru's injuries until she went to remove his haori. Of course, she felt her cheeks heat up at the very thought of partially stripping him, but she knew it had to push through it in order to save him. After peeling off his haori, or what was left of it, she grew sick to her stomach.

She had to stop the blood loss.

It was the only way he had a chance at making it. The medication and bandages of her backpack were all over by the place by this point.

The wounds were deeper and worse than they appeared, and were already beginning to fizz and bubble with the signs of infection.

Gently, she began to dab the soap and water gathered from her belongings and attempted to clean the dirt and grime from his torn flesh. Sesshomaru's form tensed, but he did not awaken, not yet. He was far from gaining consciousness. His skin had always been fair, yet now it was sickeningly pale, adorning a paper white tint.

Rolling her sleeves up, she moved to the lacerations lining his from his right shoulder down to the left side of his abdomen, and began to stitch them shut in hopes that it'd stop the bleeding. So far, the minor wounds were attempting to close themselves due to Sesshomaru's healing factor, but it would be days until he was returned to his former self. She attempted to distract herself from her current nervousness as she dabbed the newly stitched wounds with a healing salve. By now, her own fingers were covered in blood, though she attempted to ignore the fact.

His broken arm needed to be set and Kagome wasn't sure if she was capable of setting it properly. She still had to try. Sesshomaru's once gaping eyes were now closed, though his breathing was still ragged. At least he seemed more so peaceful than before.

After bandaging the broken limb around a makeshift cast, Kagome rested the arm in one of the slings that she had managed to get over his form.

The hard part was done, and Kagome released a sigh as she dragged her forearm across her sweaty forehead. Those bandages would suffice for the next few hours, and then she'd have to change them all again...that is if she chose to stay.

Pursing her lips, she tilted her head as she gazed at him. She didn't have to stay, she reminded herself. Her initial decision was to leave when she was done....but she knew now that he wouldn't survive if she abandoned him. He needed food, water, medicine, everything that she had, and he certainly couldn't wrap his wounds himself.

She'd stay the night...just that night. It wasn't a good idea to travel any further anyway. She risked getting attacked by a demon, maybe a demon that was similar to the one that did damage to Sesshomaru.

Speaking of which, where was the demon? There was no sign of its carcass, nor did she sense its aura. Perhaps it was long gone- figuring Sesshomaru to be dead, if that was what happened at least.

Huffing, Kagome drug her sleeping bag out and began to prepare a fire. This would be her first time sleeping in the forest without Inuyasha's protective gaze watching over her. Most of the time, the half-demon refused to sleep, wanting to keep guard over her and their human friends. The only time Inuyasha truly slept was inside Kaede's village, or back in her era where no danger was present.

Without him, Kagome doubted she could sleep any. Demons in the area were a sure threat. Despite Sesshomaru being on the verge of dying, any lesser demons would jump at the chance to kill him in his weakened state.

She'd have to keep watch over him. She'd be able to feel if any demons came near, and that was a minor relief. She'd have time to draw an arrow, if the situation called for it.

Once the fire sprang to life, Kagome gently fanned it, hoping to get a bright flame. If anything, it'd be enough to ward away any weak demons, and it'd keep them both warm. Stretching out a blanket, she stalked over to the Daiyoukai's form and draped it over him.

He was still breathing, and that was a good sign. He was fighting for his life, she knew. He wasn't the type to succumb to death so easily, but he had a long battle ahead of him. She wasn't sure how quickly he could heal himself compared to Inuyasha. It usually took Inuyasha three or four days to get over his injuries, but he had never been as gravely hurt as Sesshomaru was.

She sat up, merely gazing over at him from across the fire. He must've made his way over to tree in an effort to rest, but he probably did not realize how badly he had been injured. Kagome figured he lost consciousness along the way, which would have explained the blood trail she followed.

Whatever did this to him was formidable, and she prayed that it did not return any time soon. Between that, Inuyasha coming for her, and Sesshomaru awakening prematurely, she did not know what to fear first.

Sitting up inside of her sleeping bag, she crossed her legs, her bow and arrow in her lap ready, ready for anything that intended to catch her off guard in the night. Sesshomaru needed to hurry up and recover, for both of their sake. This would be her test, a test to see if she was indeed the priestess she wanted to be. Strong and confident, just like Kikyo. It was her duty to keep them both alive.

Xx

It was morning already.

Kagome didn't get much sleep due to keeping watch, though she figured she'd doze off in the afternoon when it was safer. She rubbed the bleariness of her eyes away, and with a yawn, she climbed out of her sleeping bag.

Surprisingly, Inuyasha did not come for her during the night. She didn't know if she should have been worried or relieved. It usually did not take him long to trace her scent, but maybe he was still sulking over their argument. If anything, the events seemed to turn in Sesshomaru's favor.

She lethargically made her way over to him and gently tugged the blankets away. He was still in the same position that she left him, unconscious but breathing. That was all she could really hope for. His bandages were soaked in blood, but Kagome expected as much. He was still holding on by a mere thread and was vulnerable- Kagome would dare say. More than likely, Sesshomaru was never going to admit their current predicament to anyone. He was far too prideful, she knew. He'd never reveal that a human priestess acted in his defense when no one else would.

Kagome liked the sound of it.

Climbing to her feet, she paced her way over to her backpack. His bandages needed changing again, and she just wanted to get it over with. The faster she did so, the faster she and he both had a chance to rest.

This time, as she lifted the bloody bandages, she noticed a decrease in the blood that rose to the surface of the many lacerations. The wounds were attempting to close from the inside, which was the best thing. He was healing, but the process was slow. The stitching she administered looked as though it was holding together nicely the same, so he was doing well- so far at least. As long as he didn't move around too much, he was safe.

It wasn't like he was going anywhere any time soon. Kagome shrugged, peering down into a jar of salve that she used the day before. She easily slipped her slender fingers into the jar and gathered as much of the substance as possible into her hands, "Alright." She breathed, lifting her wrists and sliding her sleeves back, "It's about that time again." Dressing his bandages was easier this time around. She gently smoothed the salve over the wounds, being as gentle as she could.

This close, she had to admit that Sesshomaru seemed different. She stared intently at the magenta markings stretching across his cheeks, and the blue moon sitting at the center of his forehead. He had a chiseled face with those deep, golden and penetrating eyes, the perfect nose, slender yet prominent, lips that seemed soft as silk, strong arms, his stomach hard and defined with silky fair skin covering the steel hard muscles- Kagome quickly shook her head. She didn't like where her thoughts were wondering.

But now, touching his hair merely seemed so...tempting.

It seemed so...soft.

He wouldn't wake up anytime soon, she reminded herself.

Slowly, she eased her way over towards him. His hair was so long that she didn't have to move too close. Hesitantly, she picked up the silver strands between her thumb and index finger, and memorized the texture. It was like silk, though she believed that it was far softer than that.

It was far more different than Inuyasha's hair....

Inuyasha!

Kagome quickly shifted back away from him, all the way over to the other side of the fire.

What was she doing?! She couldn't be fawning over Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's enemy! Even if he was unconscious, she couldn't exploit his weaknesses.

Sesshomaru did not tolerate humans, half-breeds, foolishness- everything that popped into Kagome's head as she thought about it. He was an advocate of self-progression. He cared nothing for anyone- except for Rin.

He was a complete enigma when it came to the little girl. He despised humans, found them weak and useless, and even refused to accept their help in death, but he allowed Rin to travel with him, brought her back to life with Tenseiga- and even seemed to care for her.

Kagome waved those thoughts off.

It wasn't her job to try to figure Sesshomaru out. She took a lingering glance at him before standing.

Getting a fire ready again wasn't difficult, and she soon had her cooking pans hanging over the flames. She ate her breakfast, managed to pack all of her things, and decided to return to her sleeping bag, but from the corner of her eyes, she caught him...shaking.

Ever so often, he'd tremble, uncontrollably almost. Was he...cold? Kagome's brows knitted as she hesitantly made her way back over to him. Perhaps she did something wrong.... No, she followed Kaede's procedures step by step.

Sesshomaru merely needed warmth.

The fire and blankets were already keeping him warm, but he needed something else...

He needed body heat. He had lost too much blood.

Currently, she was the only person around that could give it to him. However, it meant actually lying against him in an effort to keep him warm. Kagome's entire face reddened over.

She couldn't lie next to Sesshomaru. She didn't have the willpower to.

Another shudder racked through him.

She didn't have a choice. He was going to freeze to death if she didn't act quickly.

Knowing well the consequences of what she was doing, Kagome drug her sleeping bag over to the unconscious daiyoukai's side. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she pulled the blanket over him and her both. She could feel her heart beating wildly within her chest as she shifted closer and closer to him, and finally, she was pressed against his satin flesh. By then, she did not know who was shuddering more, him or her. He was so...cold. He must've been freezing the entire night, but she failed to notice.

She was too focused on keeping watch.

Kikyo wouldn't have made that mistake.

Grimacing, Kagome's eyes grew partially lidded, and she drew the blanket up towards her chin. Kikyo would have remembered that a drop in temperature accompanied blood loss. If she was Kikyo, she would have been able to heal Sesshomaru with her purifying powers....

However, in her musings about the dead priestess, she failed to realize the molten orbs of predatory eyes that were staring at her, dazed, yet very much present.

When she did so to look at him, Kagome's own eyes became large saucers, and she swallowed down a scream that rose to her throat. A hand slapped over her mouth, and she released a harsh breath that left her nauseous.

Was he awake?

She felt his entire body tense against her. His aura pulsed, but it was faint, so faint that Kagome almost missed it.

Sesshomaru should not have awakened, not yet. She expected him to be out at least for a few more days. Him gaining conscious this soon was out of the plan. If he moved around too much now, he was going to further injure himself. If he was able to move around enough, he was going to kill her. If Inuyasha found her dead, Sesshomaru was going to get killed the same. In his current state, he didn't stand a chance against the Tetsusaiga.

He continued to stare, his vision unfocused and glazed over. His brows briefly knitted, only slightly before his lids lethargically closed, shielding his golden eyes again.

He was out again.

Kagome remained in the same spot, virtually not moving for what seemed like hours. She doubted she could muster the courage to do anything else.

Sesshomaru was fighting to awaken, but his body simply would not let him.

Kagome managed to get hold of her nervousness, and she released an exasperated sigh. Perhaps now she could have slept, at least a little. She'd have to stay up again to keep watch, so it was best to sneak in a little sleep before nightfall.

If she could sleep.

Being pressed up against Sesshomaru wasn't exactly the best sleeping aid, but she was doing the right thing, she had to remind herself. She was doing what any priestess would do when faced with her current situation.

Whether she liked it or not, her lids were growing heavy from the lack of sleep. She strained to stay awake because of her fear and nervousness, but she was forced to succumb to the arms of slumber. Kagome wasn't awake to notice, but Sesshomaru stopped trembling. He was finally warm.

When she did awaken, it was late in the evening, and the sun was beginning to sink over the line of trees. It was nearly time to begin her watch. Groaning, she stretched her arms above her head with a yawn and passed a gaze over at the sleeping demon at her side.

At least he wasn't conscious. His bandages were soaked all the way through, meaning it was time to change them again. With a last stretch, she pushed the blankets back and paced her way over to her backpack.

A pain in her stomach reminded her that she had not eaten since breakfast, but her meal would have to wait until she was done with changing his bandages.

Gathering her supplies in her arms, she made her way back over to him and lowered to her knees. She fumbled around trying to find her container of bandages, but then she felt something wrap around her neck.

It was Sesshomaru's hand.

Her own hands immediately lifted, taking hold of his wrist, and her wide eyes lifted to view his face.

He looked nothing like the Sesshomaru she was used to seeing.

The whites of his eyes were bleeding an angry red, his brows were narrowed harshly, and his fangs were bared, a snarl following suit. He wasn't himself. The growl that rose from his chest was guttural, almost like the sound a predator would make before it caught prey- yet just as the animalistic look crossed his features, it was replaced by pure incredulity. It only lasted for a moment, before he gagged.

Something was trying to come out of him. Wearily, he turned away, and another growl left him. He managed to lean over the other side of the tree and gag another time. Blood merely left his lips, his own blood. He immediately regretted moving, and was instantly paralyzed by the shooting pain traveling the length of his left arm- the deep wounds inflicted on his chest and shoulders, and broken ribs. A blinding pain engulfed his head, and if he was already seeing double, but in the corners of his eyes, he saw blackness. It was spreading. He was losing consciousness again.

Kagome did not know what to make of it. Fear gripped her until she was suffocating, and when Sesshomaru did finally release her when he began to gag, she scrambled to distance herself. She watched helplessly and he struggled to regain his original position. He was giving it all he had, yet it barely seemed as though he was making progress.

She couldn't watch him suffer.

Without thinking, she made her way to him, attempting to assistant him with his effort, yet a swipe of his claws quickly made her fall back onto her backside.

Sesshomaru was awake, not mobile, but awake. That little incident took a lot out of him, she could tell. He was panting harshly and sweat beaded his brow, though she realized he was attempting to retain his usual calmness. He could not get his vision to remain steady nor was he able to instantly heal the pain searing through his veins.

She had to help him. He wouldn't like it, but she had to help him. At this point, he was reopening his wounds and further injuring himself.

He was currently unsure of where he was, and how long he had been unconscious, and he merely could not focus. His usual mask of coolness was steadily slipping into place, though he was being forced further into sleep by his body.

But, the only enigma that plagued him was the girl's presence with him. What was she doing there? It was a distant thought, gnawing at him in between his pain and confusion. He was not even certain himself if she was present or not, but her scent was unmistakable.

"...Mind your own business, or I'll put an end to your interference..." He managed to speak, though his tone was not as smooth as it usually was. It was a whisper- raspy and deep- truly lined with the signs of fatigue. However, the threat was clear.

Even if he did promise to kill her, Kagome knew that he was incapable of carrying it out. When he was trying to choke her, his grasp was weak- weaker than it should have been. If he had held on longer enough, she was sure that she would have been able to peel his fingers away and escape.

As every second ticked by, he was losing his consciousness. Kagome could see it in his eyes. They continued to focus and refocus before all together becoming empty. They closed.

He was a bit more pissed than she initially thought he'd be...This was going to be a problem.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, his bandages were soaked all the way through with blood, and she blamed his little stunt for it. More than likely, he ripped several of his stitches and reopened the closing wounds.

Muttering to herself, Kagome got up and made her way over to the water bottles in her bag. She'd need to clean all the blood and grime off of him now, all because he moved around too much when he awakened. Kagome couldn't blame him. He woke up in an unfamiliar place, and he had someone who he despised looming over him, trying to do only Kami knows what to him.

While he was asleep, she found the time to adjust the long and thick fur behind the daiyoukai- proving a better resting place instead of the harsh bark of the tree.

Once the water came to a boil in one of her pots, she brought it over and sat it down beside him. After mixing in a bit of soap, she waited until the water was warm enough to gently dab his brow with a wet cloth. She was sure to be careful when rubbing the dried blood from his cheeks, his nose…his chin, and before she could do anything else, his lids opened, revealing dazed ashen eyes.

Kagome felt her blood freeze, but she sunk the towel back into the pot of water, wrung it out, and continued on with wiping at the strong column of his throat.

Sesshomaru's gaze hardened over in a familiar glare, but his eyes did not tint red. No, he didn't have the strength to muster any power from his inner youkai.

Sensing his discomfort and utter hate for her, Kagome swallowed a lump in her throat, "I don't like this any more than you do." She whispered.

Silently, he continued to glower. He was mad, Kagome knew, but it didn't cross his features. She could only tell from his eyes that he was far passed being annoyed. It was obvious that he remembered what happened the day before when he first awakened, and he was not pleased to know that she did not heed his warning.

She was signing her own death warrant.

"But I promise that it will only be for a little while…" She'd leave once he got strong enough to fend for himself. She then reached to wipe at his brow again.

He turned his head away from the cloth, his upper lip curling as he did so.

Kagome frowned and her brows knitted, "Once you're better, I'll leav-"

"You are a fool." He interrupted her. This time, the words smoothly fell from his lips. He seemed to at least be in control of his voice now. As he spoke, he never once graced her with a glance.

"I'm just trying to help you. What is so wrong with that?" She blurted out, finally dropping the bloody cloth back into the water, "Without me, you would have died…" By now, her tone was desperate. "Like I said, it's only going to be for a little while."

Sesshomaru did not make any gestures to signal that he was listening. It was as if the girl ceased existing.

Kagome huffed, reaching to remove another one of his bandages.

He. Was. Such. A. Jerk!

She gently lifted the bandages and continued to wipe away the crusted blood that managed to seep out. Underneath her touch, he tensed, but she continued on until she reached his abdomen, still wiping with care. "…I really am sorry about this." She wasn't sure if Sesshomaru deserved his injuries or not, but she knew that his pride was severely damaged by accepting human aid. "This is only until you get better." She half-heartedly smiled, but she knew he wasn't looking at her.

He could not deny that the girl's touch was warm…soothing even, but he had never been one to give into such imprudence. He wondered exactly how long he'd been unconscious before she found him.

She was aware that they were both enemies, and after this, they'd probably still fight on opposing sides, "But…." She shrugged, ringing the bloody wash cloth out, "I've chosen to help you, even if it is crazy…"

Lazily, his eyes flickered in her direction. He could not sense any nervousness as she spoke, so either she was telling the truth, or she was a skilled liar. Sesshomaru believed the former.

Kagome was unsure of what made him finally look at her, but now that she was granted his attention, she felt her cheeks warm up, "Uh...b-besides, I've got nothing better to do."

"Where is the half-breed?"

She figured that question was going to come up. After a mment, she shrugged, bringing the cloth up to wipe the bridge of his nose. She missed a drop of blood there.

As Kagome lifted the cloth to touch him again, he caught her wrist, though his hold was not as strong as he wanted it to be. "I grow tired of your games." Though he had only one working limb, Sesshomaru was not new to the feeling. Inuyasha once cut off his left arm in search for the Tetsusaiga Since then, it regenerated, but now that it was broken, it wasn't a setback.

Kagome was taken off guard by how quickly he was still able to move. She squeaked, feeling his grasp tighten. His grip wasn't strong, but his claws were threatening to grind into her flesh, "I don't know where he is….I don't." It was the truth after all.

"I'm to believe that you don't know of his whereabouts…?" His tone took a deadly turn, and Kagome knew then that if he had any patience left, it was all gone by now, "Just who do you take me for?"

"No, it's true." Kagome quickly cut in, hoping to reason with him before he took another swipe at her, "He and I…we had a fight two days ago. I left. I haven't seen him since. I was on my way home when I found you…." She couldn't help but to wince. By now, blood was seeping down her arm.

Moving around was a mistake. He was injured beyond his healing factor's usual repair. Agony ripped across his form, but he managed to push it back in the far reaches of his mind, hoping to suppress it. His grip was so weak that he couldn't even elicit a scream from the girl. It was all frustrating. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep his arm level and to keep his hold on her. It wasn't long before his grip on her was weakening, though he refused to let go.

"Sesshomaru, you're hurting me…" Kagome was unsure of what to do by then. While he was like this, it was clear that she would be unable to do anything to help him. Her free hand moved in an effort to pull his fingers away from her wrist, but he abruptly let her go.

She watched as his fingers flexed, the most sickening of popping sounds heard as he did so. It was a silent warning that though he couldn't mortally wound her, he could hurt her. Silently, he returned his gaze elsewhere, focusing again on the dark abyss the trees created.

And just like that, he was acting as if nothing happened. Kagome scowled. If his injuries didn't kill him, she was going to. It made no sense to aggravate him further though. She'd allow his wounds to air out first, and she'd dress them later, when he was in a better mood…if his mood got better anyway.

She went ahead and began bandaging the deep welts on her wrist. They stung, but it wasn't anything compared to Buyo's scratches. Sesshomaru was trying his best to hurt her- trying his hardest to scare her, but he merely couldn't. If she hadn't found him, he wouldn't have stood a chance against any of his enemies. She figured that Sesshomaru would have the same sentiment, but he was too stubborn and prideful to admit it.

Nightfall was nearly approaching, and with it came a drop in temperature, and just like any other night, Kagome realized that Sesshomaru would need warmth. She relit the fire and gathered her thick blankets along with her sleeping bag. This time around, he'd be conscious when she'd keep him warm. How was she supposed to explain it to him without him getting offended? Kagome wordlessly paced her way to his side and spread her sleeping bag out beside him.

First, she'd bandage his wounds and then…propose how she was going to keep him warm. It'd give her time to work out the kinks in her explanation. Besides, it was time to approach this entire situation a different way. Forcing herself on Sesshomaru never ended well. It was time she tried reasoning with him. She'd ask first, and then if he still refused, she'd force the bandages on him. The plan was foolproof.

Sesshomaru was lost within his own musings and was currently immune to the world around him. Even as the girl moved, he failed to notice, and that was unlike him. He rarely zoned out, yet he was incapable of keeping his thoughts in one place.

There was a lot on his mind.

Inuyasha's whereabouts was a key factor in his survival, and Sesshomaru despised the very thought of such, but he knew it to be the truth.

He was no fool.

Any enemy that stumbled upon him in his current state was likely to kill him.

He did not know which was more sickening, death at the hands of a weak demon, most of all Inuyasha, or remaining in the girl's care.

He did not understand her. If the tables were turned, Sesshomaru would have left Kagome to her to her miserable fate. He did not interfere in human affairs, and he figured the girl did not know her place since she deemed herself significant enough to meddle in his own battles.

She had always been brazen. When most humans would cower before him, she always challenged him, especially when it came to the safety of the half-breed.

His thoughts were cut short once he noticed the girl kneeling in front of him. She set the medical supplies down that were gathered in her arms, "Are you ready for me to put your bandages on …?" She managed a small smile as she gazed at him hopefully. She prayed to Kami that he cooperated, "If I put this salve on your injuries. They'll heal faster…"

Sesshomaru's expression remained virtually unreadable. After a moment, his gaze flickered towards the cackling fire at the center of their campsite. As it seemed, he was going to ignore her.

It was better than hearing him growl at least. Figuring this was his way of agreeing, Kagome attempted to suppress her excitement, but her smile grew wider.

It didn't know unnoticed by Sesshomaru.

Most human females grew excited by the smallest of things. He recalled once before when Rin first ventured through a sea of wildflowers. It took Jaken nearly an entire day to drag her away.

He was unsure of why his current cooperation made the girl her happy. He was simply trying to speed up his recovery. It had nothing to do with pleasing her.

"Um, Sesshomaru?"

He glanced at her.

Kagome once again felt a blush coming on. She gently applied the salve to one of the lacerations stretching from his shoulder to the center of his chest, "You've lost a lot of blood…" She was doing her best to keep her fingers steady. Dressing his injuries was easier when he was unconscious, but while he was awake, she was a nervous wreck.

"Your point is?"

"Um, well. You know how when you lose a lot of blood, you're unable to keep yourself…warm." She continued to apply the salve, being sure to examine his stiches as she did so, "For the last two days, you've been getting really cold. I've been using uh…my body heat to keep you warm….if I didn't, you were going to get sick."

It would explain why he could smell the woman all over him. His brows narrowed. He detested that idea.

"I know, it sounds bad, but if you get sick and your health regresses, we'll be here even longer…." Kagome knew that she had to mention something as equally bad as sleeping next to her. Sesshomaru didn't want to be around her longer than he needed to be.

He had no recollection of the last two days, so he was unsure if the girl was speaking the truth. However, he did notice that his fingers were currently numb. Something so trivial as the weather did not bother him, but in his current state, he was susceptible to anything.

Despite that, he was willing to take his chances rather than using the girl as his own personal fire. He knew already that she was warm. Even now as she treated him, she sent tendrils of warmth climbing his spine. She was a priestess. I was expected, but his pride came first.

He still didn't seem to like the idea.

Kagome unwound her rolls of bandages and began to tie them around his torso in an effort to cover the wounds, "It just to ensure that you'll get better faster."

He was pressed for time. He had to do what he could to speed up his healing process. He was beginning to feel that any demon that took his life was doing him a favor. "We will see if your words hold truth. If they don't, you will die…"

Now that he agreed, Kagome was unsure if she was up to the task. His little threat did not go unnoticed, but she knew that she'd be able to keep him from getting cold.

This time though, she'd be sleeping next to a conscious Sesshomaru. She could feel nervousness swell in her stomach, but she tried to ignore it. When every wound was dressed and his broken arm was secured, Kagome figured that it was time to begin keeping watch. At least now she'd have help. Sesshomaru's nose was probably more powerful than Inuyasha's, so he'd smell or feel any demons before she did.

Awkwardly, she paced her way over to him, being sure to bring the blankets with her. She offered one to him, but he didn't spare her a glance. As it seemed, he wasn't keen on having one. Deciding to go ahead and sit, Kagome hesitantly inched over towards him. She tried to remind herself that this was her third time doing this. She was well experienced when it came to keeping him warm. Once she was pressed against his side, she remained rigid, never daring to look at him as she stared ahead, "You can go ahead and sleep. I'll keep watch…"

"You'll thwart the hand of death?"

"I've been doing it for two nights now. Don't worry. I'll be able to sense anything that comes close." She nodded, wearily shifting her gaze up at him.

The girl seemed awfully confident in her abilities. By what he had seen, her skills in archery were average at best. She'd be able to put up a small fight against lesser demons. Regardless, he wasn't going to sleep any time soon. He had never been much of a sleeper, period, and he wouldn't dare sleep now, not when his life was on the line.

Kagome could tell that Sesshomaru had no intention to sleep. She spread the blanket over them both and drew it close to her chin again. She figured that he would have tried to remove it, but he didn't. He merely continued to stare ahead.

She wouldn't be able to convince him to sleep, she realized. He was just like Inuyasha when it came to keeping watch. During her musings however, she had yet to notice that her fingers found the silver silk that was Sesshomaru's hair near her thigh, and she was gently toying with the strands between her fingertips.

When she did notice, she was immediately mortified, and she rested her hands in her lap.

That was a potentially life-threatening habit. She had might as well go ahead and impale herself on his claws if she was going to be playing with his hair so blatantly. Thankfully, it went unnoticed by Sesshomaru.

She just had to make it through the night by keeping her hands to herself.

That was going to be harder than she realized.

After a few hours of toying with his hair on and off, and stopping herself, her lids were becoming increasingly heavy. She glanced over at Sesshomaru.

He had yet to make a move since she sat beside him. His discipline was nerve racking. She doubted that he even stopped looking in the same direction since night fell.

Kagome just couldn't stay awake any longer. The last two days had taken a toll on her. She was unsure of when her head drooped and rested against the daiyoukai's shoulder, but she was beginning to fall deeper and deeper into sleep.

Feeling the weight of the girl as she rested against him, Sesshomaru's eyes shifted in her direction. She was asleep, and though he disliked having her on him, he knew that if she slept, she was going to be quiet, and right now, he needed peace.


	3. Chapter 3

It was….ridiculous.

He could not make a move to do anything, not even crawl as a pup could. His body constantly betrayed him, giving weigh to the agony that seemed endless.

Sesshomaru had a high tolerance for pain. When Inuyasha took his left arm, it was nothing he could not handle, yet this…this was different.

He was forced to submit to his body's willingness to rest. He couldn't push through it, not this time. He'd have to endure every agonizing step to his recovery…and he'd have to put up with the girl until then.

She was still asleep and far too comfortable for his liking.

Her ignorance and naivety relative to trust knew no bounds.

She was slumbering just as if she was sleeping beside the half-breed. Her head was limp against his shoulder, and she was completely nestled against his side, curled up within the blanket.

However, he was not inclined to kill her. She was indeed right about keeping him warm, as trivial at it was.

Her warmth was like no other that he felt.

It was calming- soothing even, but she began to stir against him.

She was awakening.

"Hmm?" Kagome blinked her bleary vision a few times as the sun's light became unbearable. It was morning already, but she was too comfortable to move- too comfortable against Inuyash- Sesshomaru! With a squeak, she jerked away from him, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" To use him as a pillow? Fall asleep while she was supposed to be keeping watch? Play with his hair all night? "Uh…D-Did I hurt you?!"

He didn't answer her. In his usual manner that Kagome had come to know, he merely flickered his gaze in another direction, ignoring her.

She felt her brow twitch. No, she hadn't harmed him, thankfully, but his bandages needed changing again. They were already red from signs of blood. Rubbing more bleariness from her eyes, Kagome lazily stood and moped her way over to her bag.

At least Sesshomaru was able to remain conscious for a prolonged period of time. That meant that he was getting better, though his recovery was still slow, slower than what she would have expected. She'd be around him much longer than she thought.

"Are you ready for me to change your bandages?" She asked once she had all of her supplies gathered. She kneeled down in front of him, another hopeful smile on her features as she waited for his response.

Of course, he did not want the girl near him anymore than she had to be, but he did need his bandages to be changed if he was going to recover quickly. Her remedies seemed to help, though the effects were insignificant. His ashen eyes bore into her once more, unwavering.

Kagome felt her cheeks warm up, though she nodded and began to undo the sullied bandages. When Sesshomaru stared at her, he seemed as though he was peering into her very soul. But, she knew that was how he was. He analyzed every opponent in a similar fashion- figuring out their weaknesses and then utilizing the minimum amount of energy required to bring them down. She noticed that about him while watching his battles with Inuyasha, and though Inuyasha was good, Sesshomaru was always better.

Sesshomaru was faster, smarter, and stronger, but unlike Inuyasha, Kagome knew that his heart wasn't into involved in his fights. He had nothing to protect, no one to fight for. With all of his strength and his power, he was capable of doing so much, but he settled for focusing on conquest. In the warring states era, he had the ability to bring those back to life that died because of senseless war, but he didn't….He merely lugged Tenseiga around as if it was useless.

It was selfish of him, but he felt himself superior and above human affairs. He was proud of his birthright as a demon , and despised Inuyasha for being a lowly half-breed.

He expected the girl to talk his ear off as she changed his bandages, but she was unusually silent. He doubted that she got the hint that he was never in the mood for casual conversation. It was something else.

"Can I ask you something?" She abruptly spoke, taking her attention away from his bandages as she focused on his face.

Just as the day before, he could feel the soothing sensation her fingers bathed his flesh in, and though he found it trivial, he desired the same sensation once it was taken away from him. Once he was brought from his musings, he was faced with the deep pools of her azure eyes and the curiosity within them. He supposed that he'd grant her the answer to whatever it is she sought after. Perhaps it'd get her away from him, "What is it?"

"Why do you despise humans so much?"

"…Is a mere…mortal trying to figure me out?" As he spoke, he did not grant her his gaze, not this time. Initially, he was caught off guard by the question, but just as any other emotion that he felt, it was momentary.

"…Are you going to answer?" She gnawed onto the inside of the cheek. Kagome didn't expect him to answer, but she was curious.

"…Know your place, girl."

With a soft sigh, she merely stared at him, though he wasn't directly looking back in her direction. "…Well…if you won't answer my question, then I'll go start breakfast. Want some?"

No answer.

Kagome managed to roll her eyes before huffing. She stood and made her way back over to her bag. He was impossible. She thought by now that he would at least be a little talkative, but she should have known better. Once they parted ways, things were going to be back to normal. He was going to go back to killing her and Inuyasha when the chance arose, and they'd still be mortal enemies. She didn't understand why she thought things would be different between them. She blamed wishful thinking, but she wasn't in this for gratitude. She was simply a priestess with a job to do.

Kagome groaned, slapping her hands to her face.

"…The scent of blood is in the wind."

She glanced back at him, taking her eyes away from her cooking pot, "…Blood?" He wasn't going to repeat himself, and before she could question him further, a demonic aura surged into her senses.

She quickly stood, scrambling to her bow and arrows.

It was a demon, a demon that made a recent kill, Kagome gathered. It'd explain the blood that Sesshomaru smelled. She perched the arrow onto her bow, but she didn't tug back on the bowstring yet. She couldn't even see the demon through the thick shrubbery of the trees, but she knew that it was coming, and it was coming fast.

Whatever was headed their way was bigger than the girl realized, Sesshomaru knew, but that meant that it would increase her chances of successfully hitting it. This would be her test, he reasoned. He couldn't summon enough youkai to even fuel poison into his claws…his life was in her hands.

Kagome quickly kneeled at his side, drawing the arrow back against the string finally. She had to protect him, otherwise they were both going to be killed.

Her senses weren't exactly as up to part as he figured they were, but she was already prepared to fire the arrow the moment the demon appeared. That was enough.

She gnawed onto her lower lip as nervousness filled her chest. She closed one eye, hoping she'd be able to better hit her target.

"Keep both eyes open…" Sesshomaru passively spoke, his eyes never leaving the area ahead of them. It would increase her accuracy, and he would not have given her the advice had his life not been on the line.

Both eyes open? "…Right." Kagome merely nodded, opening both eyes and focusing on the area in front of them. She couldn't miss, she just couldn't.

Before them , the trees began to crumble, giving weigh to the sight of a stout ogre demon. He was covered in blood, the split in half carcass of a bore in each of his three-fingered clawed hands. His bulging yellow eyes intently focused on him, and his canine filled mouth parted with a snarl.

Sesshomaru's aura, though he was weak, was still present, and any lesser demon would jump at the dance to devour the body of a superior demon.

It charged forth.

'Hit the mark….' Kagome reminded herself. The demon was far too fast for her to notch another arrow. The entire bow emitted an ominous white glow with signs of her spiritual powers building, and she finally released the arrow, sending it hurdling in the demon's direction.

However, the wild ogre defended himself by lifting the dead animal carcass to block the arrow. He continued to run, and Kagome didn't have enough time to scream before it swung its large hand forward- knocking her away from Sesshomaru's side.

She was thrown back from the impact, but she scrambled to get up. She could already feel blood slide down the side of her face. She had been hurt, but she couldn't dwell on that now.

"The blood of a great demon…." The ogre hissed with a gurgled tone, drawing his hand forward to take hold of the silver-haired taiyoukai. His claws lengthened, and he shoved them forward, impaling them in Sesshomaru's shoulder.

The flesh, bone, and muscle there all crumbled, and what little blood he had left pooled to the surface of his skin. Sesshomaru's lips parted in pain, but no sound came forth. His eyes became red, his pupils dilated as a snarl threatened to rip free. His vision blurred over, but the searing pain entering his flesh could not be ignored.

"Leave him alone!"

In between fading into unconsciousness, he heard the girl's voice, yet his surroundings grew black. His body was failing him.

Kagome's entire form began to emit a purifying aura. She had a clear shot, and she was going to take it.

Once she released the arrow, a bright light surrounded it and it pierced the ogre in his back, immediately purifying him. His body became ash instantly, and his dying howl was heard in the last of his death throws.

It was dead.

Kagome released a breath she did not know she had been holding as she dropped her weapons.

But…it wasn't over yet

"Sesshomaru!" She ran over to his side. He was on his back with his eyes opened, yet his golden orbs were lifeless. Blood heavily leaked from the wound of his shoulder, right above his already injured arm.

He was dead, Kagome was sure of it….but no, it couldn't end like this. She promised him that she was going to protect them both- that she wouldn't allow any harm to come to him. It was her job to keep him alive, and she failed him…she failed him.

She felt tears flood her vision, but she immediately scrambled over to her medical supplies. She had to try to save him. She had to do something…

She managed to clean, wrap, and apply the medication to his shoulder, but he already lost a lot of blood…blood that he couldn't afford to lose.

He wasn't going to make it, Kagome was sure of it.

She could have left him on his own if she wasn't going to properly protect him.

The tears began to slide down her cheeks as she stared down at his form, "Sesshomaru, don't die on me….please." She was nearly begging him to remain alive. She gave him her word that she'd be able to protect him.

If she was the proper priestess she should have been, this would not have happened.

If she was more like Kikyo, the ogre would not have gotten passed her.

"Come on Sesshomaru, stay with me…." She continued to plead with him, her fingers reaching to comb through the silver strands of his bangs as if to smooth them away from his features, "Come on…please…" She was growing desperate.

He had to fight for his life.

He had to remain alive, or Kagome was never going to forgive herself.


	4. Chapter 4

Kami, he was dead. He was dead, Kagome was sure of it. His body wasn't able to handle another hit. Things just couldn't end this way. She promised him. She promised him that everything was going to be okay. She promised him that she was able to handle any demon that tried to attack them.

Kagome's vision grew blurry with a fresh wave of tears. She folded her arms across his bandaged chest and hid her face within the shelter her arms created. She felt her stomach tighten in a knot of guilt. She gave him her word that everything was going to be okay. She was supposed to protect them both, but she couldn't.

But…she felt the faint lifting and rising of his chest underneath her.

He was breathing! It was shallow, but he was breathing.

Kagome immediately sat up right, her azure eyes intently observing him.

He was determined to stay alive.

He just had to keep breathing, and he'd make it. He just had to concentrate on breathing.

Without thinking, she grasped one of his clawed hands tightly within both of her own. She was holding the same hand that threatened to claim her life on a multitude of occasions, "Just stay with me, please…just keep breathing…"

The slow rising and falling of his chest continued. His eyes that were once left ajar grew completely lidded.

He was sleeping.

Kagome released a breath she did not realize she was holding.

He had been given a second chance, but she was reluctant to let go of his hand.

She couldn't.

She felt as though if she let go, then his life was going to slip away.

She couldn't let that happen, not after breaking her promise to him.

A life was a life, even Sesshomaru's, and she wouldn't dare let her incompetence take him away.

Kagome shook her head. She just… needed to leave him be so that he could rest. Sleep was what he really needed, and he wouldn't sleep peacefully if she kept holding on to him. It was then that she pried her fingers away from grasping his hand.

What was she thinking anyway, grabbing him like that?

A familiar warmth spread to her cheeks, and she gnawed her lower lip. She had to be more careful. In her moments of happiness, she had nearly gone too far. She knew that Sesshomaru did not prefer any humans' touch, and he didn't want her hands all over him, that was for sure.

At least he was alive. That was all Kagome was thankful for.

Later that day, she decided to change his bandages. His fresh wound needed tending to the most, otherwise it wouldn't heal correctly.

She stripped away the old bandages and began to apply the salve, attempting to be careful as to not harm him further. She brought her fingers around the jagged edges of one of the lacerations that swept across his chest as she steadily applied the medicine, completely oblivious of his ashen eyes that were now open.

She didn't notice that he was awake until she reached to undo the bandage overlapping his shoulder, and she immediately froze at the realization.

He was staring at her, his expression unreadable.

Kagome could only stare back, not knowing exactly what to say- or what she could have said to make things right, for that matter. She felt tears sting her eyes again. He probably expected her to fail him, so the incident was of no consequence to him. She succeeded in only proving him right, "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru. I really am…" All this time, she had been dying for his eyes to reopen- she had been yearning for a sign that he'd be alright, and now that she had it, she was speechless. She could only think of more and more apologies.

He was on the edge of unconsciousness and reality, fading in an out of both. His vision refused to focus properly, but his nose did not lie to him. The girl's scent was present, as well as the smell of tears. She had been crying, perhaps for his sake. Mortals always allowed their emotions to dominate them. He had been severely underestimated if she pitied him so. It was ridiculous to shed tears for such a trivial purpose, for the sake of her enemy's life, "…You are a fool." His timbre was a strained whisper, but the venom behind it was clear.

"How…?" More than likely, he was right. What idiot would save one of their worst enemies? Who would honestly nurse Sesshomaru back to health, knowing that he'd perhaps kill them? But, Kagome simply could not help it. She furrowed her brows, "Because I'm doing what's right and helping you?"

He fell silent, and though he did not admit it, he was baffled. The girl was a complete enigma to him. Whenever he attacked Inuyasha, she stood by the half- breed's side. He figured it was because of her love for him, yet now, now when his life was threatened and he was at his weakest, she stood beside him the same.

They were enemies. They were not friends…yet that didn't stop her. She was either really honorable or really stupid.

That night, Kagome decided that they both needed sleep. Forcing herself to stay awake was pointless. The demon that attacked them earlier was strong enough to scare any other demons in the surrounding areas away. They were safe for the night.

She spread her blankets over him, at least partway up his chest, and dragged her sleeping bag beside him.

He didn't spare her a glance as she did so. Kagome figured that he knew by now that he needed her body heat in order to recover. She didn't have to explain herself.

Though she was still weary of sleeping next to him, she managed to nestle between his arm and his side in an effort to find a comfortable angle.

Just as before, he didn't want to be bothered with her during the night. He was willing to allow her to have her way if it meant peace.

Kagome didn't mind at all. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt as long as she could sleep against him like this, nothing else really mattered. Taking care of Sesshomaru had given her a purpose. She was exempt from him comparing her and Kikyo, and it brought Kagome a sense of relief.

However, while with him, she hadn't even given Inuyasha much thought as she believed she would have.. Actually, she hadn't thought about any of her friends or her family.

More than likely, they were worried sick about her. She figured by now that Inuyasha already made his way back to her era, thinking that she made it home. Her mom, grandpa, and Souta were probably also worried. It was unfair to them, she knew, but she couldn't leave Sesshomaru's side, not now.

It wouldn't be long before Inuyasha started looking for her, but she prayed to Kami that Sesshomaru was well by then, otherwise nothing would stop Inuyasha from killing his older brother.

She couldn't allow that to happen, not after failing Sesshomaru once already.

She found the silver tendrils of his hair and toyed with the strands, doing so until she fell asleep. She felt safe, and she was content with the idea that Sesshomaru was safe from death as well.

The next morning, she awakened to find her head resting against the upper portion of his chest, her arm draped over him. Any other time, she would have moved, but not this time. He was probably going to kill her for this, but she was just…keeping him warm, that's all, and appreciating the fact that he was alive. She could still feel him breathing, and it was stronger this time. He was doing better.

Something told her that he was awake, and he perhaps had been awake before day break. His inability to rest while injured prohibited him from sleeping. He wanted to keep watch always, but she couldn't blame him. If he was going to die, he wanted to see it coming.

As far as Sesshomaru was concerned, the girl was growing far too comfortable around him. She slept beside him, dared to touch him, and though it was all degrading, focusing on punishing her was difficult. He'd never forget how her fingertips sent waves of warmth and healing across his flesh, how gentle and calming her caresses were.

"Morning…" She muttered, smiling sheepishly. She stretched her arms above her head before slowly sitting up.

She didn't expect him to respond, but he did keep his eyes on her. It was all she could hope for.

It meant that he wasn't ignoring her, at least.

He was still giving her the silent treatment as it seemed. Her brows soon furrowed, "I really am sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean for…" She couldn't help reaching towards the bandage on his shoulder. The flesh and bone there were both torn. It would take a while to heal, "This to happen." She gently brushed her fingertip over the wound.

Still, he did not speak. His golden orbs were simply fixed on her form.

"I should have readied two arrows, instead of one-"

"Your incompetence was expected."

He. Was. A. Jerk! Kagome's eyes hardened in a glare, and she fumed, "Remind me next time not to save you!"

The screaming she did pained his ears, though it did not register on his countenance. She was beginning to annoy him, but it wouldn't be the first time. He merely flickered his gaze away from her, his upper lip curling in disdain. He had more important matters to tend to, like sitting up.

The girl walked away from him, finally, perhaps off to cook breakfast. He wasn't able to muster the fluid movements he was known for, not this time. Lethargically, he turned to his side, but he nearly paused from the pain racking his form. It was nearly enough to make him growl, though he rested once his back met the form of his boa that was still pressed against the tree.

That maneuver had taken a lot of him. His vision was steadily blurring over, and the scent of his own blood became apparent. The fresh wound of his shoulder began to throb- the pain almost blinding, but one could not tell from his somber expression.

It was degrading.

Noticing his change of position upon glancing back at him, Kagome quickly made her way over, "Sesshomaru' you shouldn't be moving!" She kneeled beside him and reached to grasp his arm in an effort to steady him.

Sesshomaru was in no mood to deal with her. The indignation of his current situation had gotten to him. He darted his hand towards her- his claws intent on slicing into her throat.

His movements were slower, much slower, and Kagome saw the attack coming. She managed to jerk backwards, though he was able scratch her.

He…nearly killed her.

Kagome's brows knitted, her deep pools of azure eyes staring in confusion. Why?...After all she had done, he tried to kill her? She fought to keep him alive, fought to protect him…and he tried to kill her.

She knew that it was bound to happen, eventually. She saw it coming, and she thought that she was prepared for it. No matter how ready she was, it still hurt. It hurt more than she thought it would.

The look on the girl's face was that of utter betrayal.

She acted as though she did not expect him to try to kill her, as if she was ignorant of what he was capable of…but her look of surprise quickly became sadness.

That…did not sit well with him. He would have been alright if she was angry, but no…she felt betrayed, as if trust between them had been broken.

Her lips parted to form words, though Kagome just couldn't find any. She poured everything she had into his recovery, and it was nothing to him.

He didn't care.

She could have died trying to protect him, and it would have meant nothing.

Her eyes remained misty, but the anguish in them was present- very clear. It was as if he shattered the fabric of whatever reality she was living in. He was a demon, and would never appreciate the aid of a human…though something was plaguing him, something in the far reaches of his mind.

It was…guilt.

He wasn't familiar with that feeling…yet he was unsure of why he felt it currently.

Was it because of her?

Kagome didn't move. She couldn't muster the energy to. She was still relatively shocked by the turn of events. She was knocked from her stupor as the taiyoukai's voice entered her senses.

"…Come here."

'Come here?' After he tried to kill her, he wanted her to come over? Kagome found it hard to believe. He was indeed a heartless…jerk. "W-why should I?"

He wouldn't repeat himself. He was going to yank her over the next time around. He merely felt compelled to put the girl's mind at ease. He'd never admit that he needed her, yet if she was going to remain around their camp, he didn't need the scent of her anxiousness disturbing him.

She merely had his word to rely on. Sesshomaru wasn't the type of person to use such sneaky tactics to deceive her, a mere human of all people. The frown on her lips remained, but she made her way back over to him, "What is it?"

The scratch on her neck wasn't bleeding, but it was threatening to. His hand came up to reach for the girl's shoulder, and Kagome instinctively grasped at his wrist. "Sesshomaru….what are you d-." Her words were a breathless whisper as her nervousness grew. She couldn't even finish her sentence.

The hand on her shoulder moved to cradle one side of her head. He brought his lips down to the scratch and his tongue ran over it with precision.

Kagome wasn't sure what he was doing. Her heart was beating so wildly in her chest that she nearly became nauseous…that was until he began to gently lap at the newly created injury. She recalled his touch as being lethal, but the hand that once had her throat in a vice grip was now gentle- passionate even. She couldn't stop the shudder that climbed her spine, and warmth spread in her belly. His touch was different, far different from Inuyasha's touch. It left a lingering sensation present- something that left her craving more, more of this new found feeling that it seemed only Sesshomaru could give.

Humans. They were so very delicate. The slightest of ailments could have sealed their demise. In his weakened state, he could have claimed the girl's life if he chose to…if he wanted to.


	5. Chapter 5

The girl's scent was intoxicating. It shrouded his thoughts in lust, and it clouded his judgment. Physically, he was in no position to do anything further to the her, but in that instant, the desire to take her as his own pressed its way into his mind.

He could sense her nervousness and fear as his tongue darted over the scratch again- his touch firm yet affectionate.

Kagome didn't even know he was capable of eliciting such a feeling of desire within her. Her heart was pounding so wildly within her chest that she could have sworn that he heard it. Her cheeks were flushed a deep crimson color, and she lost the feeling of her legs.

This wasn't right.

Not right at all.

Abruptly, she jerked away from him, intent on rummaging around with the bottles and bandages she left unattended.

As it seemed, he unnerved her. It made him truly wonder if the girl was used to intimate touch or not. She acted as though the half-breed had never done as such to her….but Sesshomaru was beginning to understand that Inuyasha had never been intimate with the girl.

He found it odd.

His half-wit, half-brother protected the girl with his life. He figured that meant that they were close, but he had been mistaken. Inuyasha always seem so anxious for her safety, as though they were mated.

She was red, redder than before.

Humans allowed their emotions to govern them, and it had only taken a single touch of his to send her squirming. He merely saw himself as quickening the pace in which the scratch would heal.

The girl was pure, pure in more ways than one. However, the matter was not his to dwell on. He observed as she continued to wrestle around with the various jars of salve in an attempt to distract herself.

At least she wasn't bothering him. He supposed now he'd make an effort to sleep. The girl didn't have the guts to touch him soon. He had given himself a moment of peace.

What was she going to do?! She wasn't sure what Sesshomaru was up to. She just knew one thing. She liked it, and that wasn't good, not good at all.

Where was Inuyasha when she needed him?

He needed to hurry up and take her away from this. She was already in too deep, and she knew she couldn't ignore him for forever. She had to change his bandages and sleep next to him.

By Kami, she couldn't afford to stick around.

Hesitantly, she took a glance back at him.

He was trying to sleep, and it was all she could hope for. She couldn't deal with him right now.

She spent the rest of the day tiptoeing around camp, really wanting no excuse to go over and bother Sesshomaru. She wanted to prolong changing his bandages. She doubted she could face him after what happened. Her cheeks were still hot from even thinking about it.

The faster he recovered, the faster they'd be able to put this entire thing behind them. He could go back to trying to kill her, and she could go back to defending Inuyasha.

But was it that simple?

She remembered the look within his eyes when he beckoned her to come over. It wasn't guilt, but it was something similar, and it flickered within his golden depths briefly.

He was simply doing the honorable thing. She helped him, so there was no need for him to attack her.

Still, she wished he would have shredded her apart. Things wouldn't have been so awkward then.

With a groan, she slid her hands down her face.

His bandages were an angry red. She couldn't neglect him now. In slow, reluctant steps, she made her way over to him, her supplies in hand.

As she approached, his lids lifted and his eyes slid in her direction.

"Uh…ready to have your bandages changed?" She forced a smile. She felt like bolting in the opposite direction, but she held her ground. She owed him for showing her…kindness, didn't she? It wasn't every day that Sesshomaru made it his business to make up for what harm he did.

He stared at her for a lingering while, causing her nervousness to grow.

She began to hesitantly change his bandages, attempting to ignore the nagging thought at the back of her head.

She couldn't repay him…but...

"…I want to do something." She said after a moment, entwining her fingers together rather awkwardly, "It's just…" She began to reach towards his face, though he lifted a hand, taking hold of her wrist.

His grip wasn't enough to stop her.

"Don't worry…" Kagome just had to get it out of her system, and though his brows narrowed, she continued until her lithe fingers combed through the strands of his hair, framing them away from his face.

The touch of the girl's fingers near his scalp and brushing over his pointed ears was more calming that it should have been. He immediately felt a lethargic haze consume him, and he blamed his baka inner youkai for it. His eyes grew heavily lidded, and the displeased expression quickly left his face.

The silver strands felt like silk as they slipped through her fingers, and though she didn't want to stop, she had to. She smiled sheepishly, soon folding her hands behind her back. "…Sorry."

The girl was growing far too comfortable around him. She slept beside him, dared to touch him, and though it was all degrading, he found it hard to focus on punishing her.

"I'm…I'm about to make breakfast. Do you think you can stomach anything?" She asked, gnawing onto her lower lip, "It's just to help you recover faster…" Their initial encounter didn't matter. They both seemed to be on good terms now, she felt. She'd merely forget about the entire thing.

"I do not partake in human sustenance..." He would not tell the girl, but her cooking smelled unlike the foul stench of food mortals decided to consume. It was different, somehow.

"Well, this food isn't anything you've seen. You'll like it." She gave a nod of assurance before clapping her hands together, "I'll hop to it!" With that, she turned and began to scramble and search for her cooking pot.

There was no use trying to dissuade the girl. Once she put her mind to something, she wasn't going to back down. She was stubborn in that aspect. Not to mention, how exactly would she know what he liked? He watched as she created a fire and started the process of cooking. It wasn't long until she was headed in his direction, a bowl of some kind in hand.

"Here." She offered the bowl to him, resuming her seat at his side, "You should try it. Its good, and I'm sure it will help you build your strength up."

Sesshomaru didn't bother glancing at her.

"Uh, its good really. It's just rice with a few vegetables, but it should…hit the…spot…" Her brows knitted as he continued to face away, "It does taste good, I promise…and we should really try anything that will help you get better soon, right?" Why wouldn't he take it? He didn't eat human food, but he didn't like hanging around with her either. She was sure that he was going to jump at a chance to speed up his recovery.

"Girl, your ignorance astonishes me…"

At that, she scowled, "It's Kagome, and what do you mean?"

His brows narrowed, and finally, he glanced at her.

She stared back at him in confusion for what seemed an eternity before her eyes widened, "Oh!...Um…well." He couldn't feed himself. He could barely lift one arm, and the other was of no use to him while it was broken. She didn't even know how she forgot about it, "That's alright. I'll help you."

His upper lip curled, though his eyes never left her.

He was irritated, clearly, but Kagome still had to try, "Come on. Don't be that way. It's just a way to help you. There's nothing to be ashamed about."

The girl clearly did not understand what she was requesting of him. He had a mind to crush her throat within his hand, but he did not have the strength.

The longer he stayed in his weakened state, the more he risked the half-breed finding him as such, or any lesser demon for that matter.

He wasn't too certain that he'd want to live after all of this, "Proceed, mortal…" If only to get his power back.

"Kagome…" She reminded him, but just like the task with sleeping next to him, she didn't know if she was ready to feed him. Just in case things were difficult. She scooped a portion of rice onto the hashi and elevated it to his mouth.

After a while of watching him stare, Kagome grew discouraged, "It's not poison or anything…" She murmured, "…Please try it?"

She was going to be the death of him. Without a word, he parted his lips and took the morsel into his mouth. He chewed slowly before swallowing. She hadn't lied. It wasn't good, but he was far beyond the trivial means of enjoying food.

The girl's entire face lit up, and she quickly prepared another portion for him to eat.

The smallest things always pleased her. Whenever he even graced her with a bit of his attention, she seemed grateful. It made him unable to understand how the half-breed managed to infuriate her to the point where she'd rather wander alone in the forest, than remaining at his side.

The half-breed was an idiot.

"There…" They were done. She couldn't help the smile that remained plastered on her features. "Good, huh? Rice tends to be my specialty." Her friends always seemed to enjoy her cooking.

She didn't even seem concerned with reminding him that she just fed him as if he were a pup. Gloating wasn't in her nature, and he knew that he did not have to worry about anyone knowing of this.

She wasn't that stupid.

By then, the sun was beginning to set, and Kagome decided to pack her things away early. Her blankets and sleeping bag were already positioned beside Sesshomaru. She merely brought her bow and arrows over, "Do you think I should keep watch tonight?" It was better asking him. He could sense things farther than she could.

"…There are no youkai around." He'd appease her, this time. They wouldn't be attacked, not any time soon. The girl could rest easy.

"You think so?" She began to make her way into her sleeping bag before scooting closer to him. Sesshomaru was never one to speak unless necessary, so his words held truth. She pulled one of the blankets up to her chin and leaned against the silver-haired taiyoukai.

He didn't need a blanket, and he supposed the girl understood that now. She was the only real warmth he needed. Her pure light was a fire of its own.

"I never really get to see the stars like this in my era…" She sighed, her azure eyes flickering over the blackening sky, "It's incredible, really…" The only time she got to appreciate the stars were on nights when she couldn't fall asleep. She'd stare up at them until the twinkling lights were the last thing she saw. Nights where she, Sango, and Shippo would sleep side by side, Miroku would sleep on the other side of the fire near Kirara, and Inuyasha would watch over them all from his position in the nearest tree.

She didn't realize how much she missed all of them until now.

"…Your era?" He sensed the drop in the girl's mood. It had to do with a number of factors, he reasoned, the most noticeable of all being the separation from her group. She needed a distraction, and he decided to give it to her.

"Hm? Oh right, yeah. I'm not really from around here…" That was all she was willing to delve into. She doubted Sesshomaru would believe her if she stated that she was from 500 years into the future. It just didn't seem worth mentioning really.

"…It explains why your kimono does not fit, girl."

Kagome's brow twitched, "It's. A. Skirt." But what would anyone in his time know about fashion? However, he was taking the time to talk to her. He hadn't done so before. She found herself smiling again, moving to rest her head against his shoulder as she moved closer to him, "It's Kagome…"


	6. Chapter 6

"These seem like they're healing well…" She covered one of the last exposed wounds with a bandage, "Soon, you'll be good as new." But, Kagome wasn't sure if that boded well for her. A mobile Sesshomaru was a dangerous Sesshomaru. If she did manage to irritate him, there would be nothing stopping him from ending her life…but she hoped that they were passed that.

Even now as she stared at him with a smile on her face, he didn't bother looking away. She managed to capture what seemed unattainable- Sesshomaru's attention. She felt…special, though she couldn't explain it.

"Are you feeling any better?" She asked.

He nodded. He was indeed feeling better than he was the day she found him. The pain that blurred his vision was only a sobering ache, so long as he didn't move around. The fresh wound of his shoulder-blade was his only concern. It still throbbed at an annoying level.

He wasn't just out of the woods yet, but he was better. He wasn't as pale as he was when she first found him, but she still doubted he had the strength to walk. She wondered just how long she'd have him like this…She'd have to let him go sometime, she knew.

She'd have to return to her friends, to Inuyasha…and that Kikyo problem. She didn't even want to think about it. But, she needed to get back to them safely. She didn't exactly know how to get back home from wherever it was they were. That meant that she and Sesshomaru didn't have to just part ways just yet, "Hey, Sesshomaru? I was wondering. Do you think that you can help me find Inuyasha and the others after you're well?"

"…You don't think the half-breed will come for you by then?" He found it strange. Inuyasha risked his life for the girl. Though he was known for his stupidity, he wouldn't just outright abandon the girl.

Kagome really hadn't given it any thought. She shrugged, soon pursing her lips, "Well, he usually waits a while to come get me after we fight. I'd really rather him not find us like this…he could hurt you…" The words became a murmur,

"You humans amaze me."

"Kagome." She reminded him. Honestly, she doubted he had any intention of remembering her name. "And what's so amazing?"

"You worry for my sake, the sake of a demon, when it is you that must endure the pathetic fate of all mortals…"

"…Well." Sesshomaru had a clear point, Kagome had to admit. Humans only lived for a short while compared to demons, and they were susceptible to sicknesses and injuries, "It just means we appreciate life a little more than you guys, hm?" She bit onto her lower lip before managing to grab onto one of his hands- being careful of his claws. "You don't know it yet, but I think you value life too. You wouldn't be living yourself if that wasn't the case."

"…Ridiculous." But, he glanced down at their hands.

"It's just that…things are different now, aren't they?" She gazed at him hopefully.

"You are foolish."

"Why…because…because…" Because she cared? She didn't want things to go back to being the same. She didn't want to fight him. She didn't want him and Inuyasha to fight. She didn't want Inuyasha nor Sesshomaru to continue down their current path, otherwise one of them was going to end up dead.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both had close calls with one another during fights. Inuyasha already cut off Sesshomaru's left arm, and once hit him directly with the Wind Scar. If it wasn't for Tenseiga teleporting him away, Sesshomaru would have died.

On the other hand, Sesshomaru managed to impale Inuyasha on his claws, and he nearly won every battle they had. But things didn't have to be that way anymore...they didn't have to be. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes before they began to slide down her cheeks.

Before all of this…mess, she wouldn't have thought twice about it if Inuyasha killed Sesshomaru. Now, she wasn't sure what she felt towards him. She liked…being with him, despite their horrible situation. He was still the same prideful and murderous demon as before, but things just weren't the same anymore.

His hand slipped from her grasp and lifted towards her face. His index finger hooked underneath her chin, and he merely stared into those azure eyes that held so …such hope and fondness…things that he saw as trivial…though if it had not been for the caring nature, his own life would have been lost.

She didn't want either of them to die…but right now, Sesshomaru was the most vulnerable. If Inuyasha found them, and if Sesshomaru set him off, there was little she'd be able to do to keep the brother's apart.

"Kagome, you continue to shed tears…for my sake, the sake of a demon…" His thumb brushed over her cheek, removing the path the tears created.

She did this once before when she failed to shoot the demon that entered their camp. There was no mistaking it. She cared for him, more than she should have. He wasn't initially sure what made the girl help him, but it was clear that her heart was involved now.

He…said her name. She didn't bother nodding, but she responded by nuzzling his palm as he caressed her cheek.

Things were indeed different now, far different.

"…It's getting late. I should go start a fire." She said, her voice a murmur in the comforting silence that settled between them.

He merely nodded, though he did not break her gaze.

Kagome flushed a deep crimson before standing, and she paced her way towards the blackness of the trees. She couldn't wrap her head around anything that was going on. She had intimate moments with Inuyasha rarely, but with Sesshomaru, they just kept happening.

It was Sesshomaru for Kami's sake! Cold, cruel, and murderous Sesshomaru. He was the same Sesshomaru that tried to kill her and Inuyasha both, but it didn't even make a difference to her.

This was utter betrayal to Inuyasha. What she was doing could have been considered traitorous. She was basically throwing all caution to the wind and demonstrating that she didn't give a crap about her friends. But she just couldn't help herself. Sesshomaru was bad, really bad, but by Kami he was so beautiful and tempting.

His very touch always seemed to awaken every nerve in her body.

Her thoughts continued to rage as she made her way back to their camp, her collected sticks in hand, and she could not help to notice how Sesshomaru's concentration was focused to the right of him.

He smelled something.

Her brows furrowed and she dropped the sticks she gathered in the center of the fire pit. She managed to get the roaring flames started before asking him, "Is something up?"

"…I smell the scent of bones…and graveyard soil."

"...Bones?" She asked, but as she continued to stare in the direction he was looking, a faint light was seen.

It was not long before the serpentine and white form a soul collector made itself known, though it was still moving several yards in front of them.

"…Kikyo." Kagome's azure eyes widened.

As she spoke, the dead priestess' form illuminated, and she seemed…weak as she continued to pace, heading in some unknown direction. About her, the swarm of soul collectors grew, dropping bright orbs into her before heading off.

She wasn't sure when she ran to Sesshomaru's side, but she nestled near him, as if hiding. She didn't know why she decided to do so…It wasn't like she had done anything wrong.

"…What is it that sends you cowering?" It was only the walking dead, as far as Sesshomaru was concerned. The being was of no threat. If anything, it was the specter that should have feared them. Its aura was weak…waning almost.

"I don't want her to see me…" Kagome sighed, drawing the blankets up to her chin, "…You don't smell Inuyasha, do you?"

"…Should I?"

Half the time, whenever Kikyo managed to get near them, Inuyasha always ran off to her. She guessed Inuyasha wasn't really in the area, especially if he hadn't come for Kikyo.

As if Kikyo was more important…

"He has a thing for dead girls…" She muttered.

As if the half-breed wasn't strange to him already. However, Kagome seemed distraught by the presence of this…woman, this Kikyo. More than likely, she was the dead priestess that pinned Inuyasha to the Sacred Tree. If she was of the walking dead, then more than likely she and Inuyasha spent time with one another, despite Kagome's presence.

It explained why she was so bothered by Kikyo's presence.

"Well, just forget about it." She smiled weakly, "I was just bothered by the thought of dying alone. It's really a lonely prospect…" She leaned her head against his shoulder, "Have you ever…thought about anything like that?"

"Humans and demons live in different worlds…"

"I know…" She nodded slowly, "I realize that now…but even you must realize how hard it is. Like how Rin can't remain in your care forever."

Rin. He hoped that Jaken was keeping her well, otherwise he was going to kill him. He was unsure of what he'd do whenever it was time for Rin to leave him. Saying goodbye to her forever was not something he thought of often.

He disliked thinking about it, "You dwell on something that matters not as of present…"

"That is true." She managed a small smile as she glanced back at him. He was right. Why work herself up over nothing, at least now anyway. She adverted her gaze with a nod.

This close to him though, she could not help thinking about how he tended to her wound…how his touch felt…how intense it was. She felt her cheeks warm up at the thought of it…but she still wanted more of it. She bit onto her lower lip. She had never been kissed by anyone other than Inuyasha…and even then it wasn't like what she experienced with Sesshomaru.

But who was she kidding?

She was human- lowly compared to him, or so she thought...but...

"S-Sesshomaru?"

He glanced at her.

"Can you…can you kiss me? I want to know how it feels…just in case…" Just in case Inuyasha never fully accepted her. It was stupid to ask…really stupid...but…she didn't care. She had nothing to lose…save for the embarrassment…but all of this Kikyo talk and dying alone had gotten to her. He wouldn't tell anybody about it, she knew. That was beneath him. It just…didn't hurt to try.

The question caught him off guard, though he did not stop staring at her.

Under normal circumstances, he would not have dreamed as such…but it was all she was asking. She did enough for him.

She saved his life.

Kagome refused to look at him now. She couldn't. She was too embarrassed, but her heart began to pound in her chest as she felt his hand shift to cup her cheek.

He was touching her…again. Did this mean he'd comply?

"…Do not move." He commanded, continuing to stare into those beckoning pools of azure eyes.

Kagome couldn't answer, not even if she wanted to. Her heart still felt like it was going to burst out from her rib-cage.

His hand lowered from her cheek, and his arm managed to wrap around her waist, drawing the mortal against his chest.

Oh. Kami. Oh. Kami. Oh. Kami. This was really happening. She pursed her lips, and her arms hesitantly wrapped around his neck.

Sesshomaru's hand moved underneath the back of her shirt, running the smoothest circles on her lower back, as if coaxing her out of her nervousness.

If he had the use of his other arm, he would have taken her as his own.

He lowered his head and allowed his lips to run over the smooth column of her throat, taking in the same scent that he was beginning to adore.

Kagome was unsure of when it happened, but she felt his lips on hers- and she really wondered if it was real…but that same firm tongue from before begged to entire her mouth.

Instinctively, her lips parted, and the invasive appendage slipped in, exploring every corner of her heated cavern.

The taste of the girl was unforgettable. It'd be always seared within his memory, though he brought the kiss to an end, sucking almost apologetically at her lower lip.

When the sweet contact was gone, she missed it…she needed it…but she'd have to settle. By then, her arms had grown slack from around him.A rather wistful expression graced her features before she hugged back onto him, burying her face with the crook of his neck."Thank you…" She murmured.


	7. Chapter 7

Three days after their argument. Inuyasha ventured off to find Kagome. Just like any other time, he figured she was waiting on the other side of the well, waiting for him to apologize. He didn't have much luck.

"What do you mean she's not on the other side?" Sango's eyes widened as Inuyasha's form climbed over the well, "I thought you said she was going home!" It had been a week since they last saw Kagome, and they all figured that she was just waiting in her era for Inuyasha to come get her.

"You heard her! It's where she said she was going!" He didn't need this, not when he was sick to his stomach with worry about her. He should have gone after her right then and there when she left. He should have stopped her from leaving. His pride just wouldn't allow him at the time, and he was beginning to regret it. If Kagome was hurt or…dead...he'd never forgive himself. This would be the second time a woman was hurt because of him, "I don't have time for this!" He turned away from the well, "I have to go find her."

Shippo hopped up and positioned himself on Sango's shoulder, "Inuyasha, you blockhead! You lost Kagome!"

"Shippo, save it!" It was true though, Inuyasha knew. This was his fault. He should have been more considerate of her feelings when they were fighting. All Kagome wanted him to do was compliment the ramen she made. Instead of just complying with her wishes and being truthful about it, he half-assed it, suggesting that the food was "just good nough to choke down."

That was when the argument started. They were slinging insults at one another back and forth, as usual, but it finally boiled down to him not having as many arguments with Kikyo as he did with Kagome. When that was mentioned, things escalated. Kagome was yelling about how Kikyo wanted to drag Inuyasha off to hell with her, and he said that he'd gladly accept the offer if it meant being with her for forever…since she meant more to him than Kagome ever would.

He didn't mean that. He didn't, but he said it since he felt like he'd win the argument if he did. It was a stupid mistake. After "sitting" him, five or six times, Kagome stormed off. Right now, he only wanted to take back every word he said.

"Wait, Inuyasha!" Miroku ran to his side, soon grabbing the half demon's shoulder, "It's useless to go wandering off looking alone."

"So what are we supposed to do, just sit and wait?!" Sango asked, her brows knitting, "Kagome could be out there, lost somewhere!"

"Or, she could be fine. I'm merely saying that if we are going to find Kagome, then we need to keep a level head. You shouldn't go off on your own. We'll all go. We'll better our chances at finding her that way." Miroku nodded, releasing his friend, "…And don't worry, Inuyasha. We'll find her."

Xx

It was her duty to make the Sacred Jewel whole again. She promised Inuyasha she'd never leave him, even though he had conflicting feelings for her and Kikyo. When she made that commitment to him, she just wanted him to be happy. He deserved it. After a life of being rejected by humans and demons alike, he needed happiness…but things were different now.

She wasn't involved with Sesshomaru then. Before their kiss, Kagome knew that she would have to return to her group at some point. But, she couldn't leave Sesshomaru now, not even if she wanted to.

With a soft sigh, she took a look at his face. It was night now, but Sesshomaru seemed to be the only one able to sleep.

As the days passed, he was growing stronger. Earlier, she caught him flexing the claws of his injured arm, and the same bone-chilling pops were heard as the digits moved in and out of their sockets. His wounds were steadily fading as well, and only a few remained. It seemed to be enough to forbid him from walking. He tried standing, but he only succeeded in getting a few feet before he was forced to sit again.

"Why do you stare at me?" He asked with his eyes still closed.

She nearly jumped out of her skin once he spoke. Her brows knitted as she scowled, "How'd you know I was looking at you?"

"I know everything…" He responded dully, his pallid lids parting to reveal his eyes. It wasn't a matter of time before those twin, golden orbs were focused intently on her.

It was a typical Sesshomaru answer. She loomed over him before pressing her lips against his own in a subtle kiss. That's really all they had been doing, kissing and talking—merely enjoying one another's company. She couldn't help smiling afterwards, a blush touching her cheeks. She had never been bold enough to kiss anyone before, not even Inuyasha. With Sesshomaru, it just seemed so right and natural, so natural that it literally scared her. "You do not.."

His uninjured arm drew around her waist, almost possessively, and he ran his fingertips over her lower back, as if kneading the flesh there, "How are you so certain?"

"No one knows everything… not even you, Sesshomaru." Her azure eyes grew shielded by her dark lashes, her slender brows knitting as she gazed upon his somber countenance.

He ignored her, his upper lip twitching faintly and he indulged in a slow blink, his fingers enjoying the black silk that was her hair.

Despite not receiving an answer, a smile broke onto her lips and she shifted to where she could fold her arms across Sesshomaru's chest, "Are you going to tell me?"

She wasn't going to give it up, as it seemed. He removed his arm from around her waist and his fingers gently took her chin. He leaned in and pressed kisses up the side of her neck, following a trail up to her earlobe.

Kagome was forced to remain still, and her lips fell ajar with a gasp as the sensual feeling of his mouth took hold of her nerves. Nervousness welled within her belly, but when Sesshomaru opened his mouth, and his tongue traced the shell of her ear, she quickly wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. She was far too shy for the feelings she was beginning to experience.

As much as he wanted to have the human girl squirming and crying out at his very touch, he knew that he was on the brink of fully healing. That meant that he'd have to sleep, and he couldn't do so while she was burning holes into him by staring. Something was on her mind, obviously, but it was no concern of his. If she did not speak of it, then he figured she didn't want to talk about it.

"Sleep then…" A leer came to his features as he felt how hot the girl's cheeks were against him. She was bright red, he assumed. His arm drew back around her, and he allowed his lids to fall shut once more. They both needed rest if they were going to be alert and aware the following morning.

"…Sesshomaru?" She murmured his name after a while, just when he thought she was asleep.

"I told you to sleep…"

"You didn't answer my question from before. Why do you despise humans so much…?" She still wasn't ready to sleep, even if he commanded her to. She wanted to talk to him more, and that particular question popped back into her head.

"Why must you be so persistent about something so trivial...?"

"It's not trivial to me." She grumbled, tilting her head back to view him again, "...I want to know why."

"The path I walk is that of supreme conquest. Humans are lesser beings; consequently they serve me no purpose."

"…Lesser beings?" She felt her brow twitch. She quickly sat up, pulling herself out of his grasp, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He didn't bother answering her. He merely wrapped his arm about her waist, as if pulling her back against him, "Go to sleep."

Kagome couldn't help her brow twitching. He. Was. Such. A. Jerk! But, it wasn't like he went out of his way to answer her. She was the one that pushed the issue, but that didn't change the fact that his words hurt her. He was in no mood to talk, so she wouldn't push it, but it remained nagging in the back of her mind until the following morning. She didn't get much sleep because of it.

She managed to peel herself away from his warm embrace, and this time, he did allow her to get up. She lazily made her way over to her bag. She couldn't wait until they came across a spring, or a river for that matter. Washing up with her cold bottles of water and a bucket wasn't the ideal thing to do. Breakfast was soon cooking, and she began to feed the fire, glancing back at Sesshomaru to see if he was fully awake yet.

To her dismay, he was….tearing apart the sling and makeshift cast on his left arm. She quickly stood, rushing her way over to him, "What are you doing?!" His arm couldn't have possibly have healed yet. Flesh was different from bone. His arm was the last thing that was going to mend itself, or at least she thought.

His golden eyes flickered in her direction, only briefly, before he continued to rip into the bandages and materials, finally getting them free. The bandage on his shoulder began to blot with red from the strained effort of his arm being maneuvered around, but no expression of pain crossed his features.

"Sesshomaru, you're trying to rush it to heal-." She squeaked once his claws began to adorn a familiar green glow, though as he made a fist, the poison died out. He was ignoring her, as it seemed.

This…wasn't…good. She knew that Sesshomaru was going to recover quickly, but not this quickly! She still figured she had time to sort things out. If he already had control of his youkai again, he was beginning to feel like his old self. She couldn't make him do anything he didn't want to do, not anymore. That meant that she couldn't keep him in their campsite anymore. Their paradise was coming to a swift end.

With a huff, her lips pursed as she continued to observe him. He was making quick work of the bandages that were once in place. The wounds were shallow cuts now, and most of them were virtually nonexistent. He didn't bother with the bandages covering his shoulder blade and upper arm though. They were still fresh, and would take another day or two to recover from.

Sesshomaru must have known that he was going to be at full power soon. It was why he was so determined to sleep as of late. Kagome's brow quirked, "I was wondering why you've been just lazing around."

"…Lazing around, was I?" He asked, drawing the girl against him as both of his arms wrapped around her.

Kagome couldn't help the fear that rose in her stomach. Sesshomaru could do whatever he could to her now. If she annoyed him, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he'd kill her, now that he was back to himself. She could only hope that he didn't resort back to despising her.

He could sense the uncertainty radiating off of the girl in waves. She feared him now, and she had a reason to. If he so desired, he could have ended her life, but that was not what he wanted.

He wanted something else, something her death could not grant him.

He needed her.

Over the past few days, taking her plagued him. He was in no condition to do so back then, though now that he was returned to his full power, he was certain that he'd have her for his own before he returned her to his brother. Certainly, Inuyasha would smell his scent all over the girl, and that in itself was satisfying enough. His hands moved from her lower back to find the soft and firm cheeks that rested underneath her skirt

"Sesshomaru…" She whispered, her azure eyes beginning to waver as her palms moved to rest into his shoulders, as if forcing their bodies apart. She felt her stomach twist in a knot as he leaned forward, allowing his fangs to graze over the junction of her neck.

She could not help shuddering. No one ever touched her like this. Her entire body began to tremble in apprehension, "…W-what are you doing..?"

He ignored her words this time, and a growl began in his chest- a primal, husky sound that clearly advised her not to push away from him. He brought their forms back together again- merely wanting to feel her soft flesh, firm mounds of breast, and the warmth from her body against himself.

Her fear became intoxicating to him.

Kagome wasn't sure if she wanted this to end…or if she wanted to continue. She was unsure of when it happened, but his lips were on her own in a devouring, yearning kiss- his tongue pressing and pushing its way hungrily passed her own. He sucked at her lower lip, as if forcing them to become kiss bruised.

Kagome could feel her nerves flood with need. It was like an inescapable heat that only Sesshomaru would be able to get rid of.

She was breathless by the end of the kiss. She nearly felt light heated, as though none of this was real. Her heart was hammering heavily within her chest, and she was sure he could hear it.

"He has never touched you like, has he?" The words were muttered within ear, so low and dangerous that Kagome couldn't part her lips to answer them.

In this very moment, the only thing Sesshomaru could think about was Kagome, and what he'd do to make his name constantly leave her lips. He wanted to bury himself into the tight, heated cavern between her soft thighs…though it all came to a halt.

Inuyasha's scent assaulted his senses.

It was thick in the air.

The half-breed had just entered their campsite.

Xx

Kikyo just had to make it a bit farther to her sister's hut before the souls within her faded, and diminished her body to ash. In lethargic steps, she drifted on, her vision focusing and becoming blurry. She was weak, and the souls of the dead would no longer sustain her. She needed something else, the portion of her soul that was trapped within the girl, Kagome. Once her soul was made whole again, Kikyo figured that she'd be able to live the life she once sought after when she was alive. A life filled with Inuyasha was what she so desired, but she knew well that he'd object to her taking the other half of Kagome's soul. He'd end up hating her…he would, but it had to be done. If she could not have him in death, then she had no choice but to become one of the living in order to have him.

Xx

He had been sick to his stomach with worry. They searched and searched for Kagome, almost endlessly, covering every inch of land in that specific region until only a small, heavily wooded area was left.

Kagome had to be there…otherwise Inuyasha did not know what he'd do. He had been moving ahead of the group- Sango and Miroku not far behind him. This was all his fault, and he had to fix it. He couldn't stand seeing another woman hurt all because of his carelessness.

He remembered the look on Kagome's mother's face when he went to her era to find her. She told him Kagome was supposed to be with him, back on the otherside, and tears immediately began to flood her eyes. Her entire family was worried about her safety, and he knew that they blamed him. He was supposed to protect her.

His heart began to beat wildly in the chest the more he ran, his ribs aching with the sensation. They combed through every strip of land he could think of…and finally, he caught her scent.

He didn't smell her blood.

She was alive and unhurt.

He continued to dart towards her location, a smirk of relief breaking onto his features…that was until he picked up the scent of his brother.

He skidded to a stop.

The smell of Sesshomaru's blood was thick in the air…and he and Kagome's scent seemed to be coming from the same place.

Inuyasha's brows knitted.

Something…wasn't right.

Hesitantly, he proceeded forward, and it wasn't long before he heard Kirara land behind him. Sango and Miroku jumped off, approaching him quickly.

"Any luck Inuyasha?" Sango asked, though her brows knitted once she saw his face.

He looked…worried.

Sango's stomach churned, "You…you don't smell Kagome's blood do you?" Her face immediately paled.

Miroku cut in, feeling the same knot twist in his chest, "There is a very strong demonic aura nearby…and I've felt it before."

"I'm not catching the scent of Kagome's blood. I smell Sesshomaru's blood more than anything…"

"Sesshomaru's blood?" Sango asked, an incredulous look crossing her features. She wanted to ask further, but Inuyasha hurried off, vanishing within the thick shrubbery ahead of them.

What the hell was going on?

It wasn't long before the monk and demon slayer headed after him.

That was when he stumbled upon their campsite.

Inuyasha was forced to remain in place- stunned.

Sesshomaru's hands were…vanishing underneath Kagome's shirt, steadily rising until he was brushing the curvature of her breast. Her arms were wrapped securely around him, and they were…kissing, kissing as if nothing else around them mattered…as if they were both lost in it.

He couldn't breathe.

He couldn't think.

His vision blurred over.

"Sesshomaru!"

Kagome hadn't noticed him, not until then. The daze and flushed expression left her features once their kiss was broken, and once she spotted the red of Inuyasha's haori, her eyes grew wide.

"I-Inuyasha..?" His name left her lips in a choked manner. Her blood ran cold in her veins. How long had he been standing there watching them? He wasn't supposed to find out about she and Sesshomaru, not like this. Shame washed over her, and she quickly adverted her gaze, never once trying to break her way out of Sesshomaru's grasp.

She'd have to leave him now.

They were going to be ripped apart.

But, their relationship wasn't right, she had to remind herself.

Nothing about it was right, but she didn't want to let him go.

She quickly stood, her heart hammering against her chest as she stared at him from across the campsite.

He was hurt…She could see it within his eyes.

She had never seen anything like it within his golden orbs.

She wasn't sure when Sesshomaru stood. She didn't even know he was able to stand, but his movements were as fluid as ever. He shielded her view of Inuyasha, but she moved from out behind him, her eyes darting between the two.

They were going to kill one another. Inuyasha would never be able to forgive Sesshomaru for this, and Sesshomaru had no problem in ending the half-breed's life, especially if it meant keeping Kagome for himself.

She could feel it.

"Though you are slow as ever, you have finally arrived, Inuyasha." Whenever Sesshomaru mocked is younger brother, Inuyasha always allowed his blood to rush to his head. He usually rushed in blindly, but not this time. He stood motionlessly, only staring as if neither he or the girl existed- as if he was looking right through them.

Wordlessly, Kagome swallowed a lump in her throat, but her gaze elevated to Sesshomaru's face. She reached for one his clawed hands, giving it a squeeze, "I'm…going to go back..." The words were whispered so softly that she thought he'd miss them.

His eyes flickered in her direction, though he remained silent. He wasn't too interested in allowing her to return to Inuyasha. As far as he was concerned, what she and the half-breed had was no more, and he'd claim the right to have and protect her.

She deserved far more than his younger-brother, but he knew well that if he forced her to travel with him, she'd despise him. She wouldn't be her usual self.

He didn't nod, but he didn't have to. Kagome's brows knitted, and she could feel her eyes heavily flood over with tears, "…Leave…please?"

His attention shifted back to Inuyasha once the Tetsuaiga was drawn.

He was going to kill his bastard of a brother. Sesshomaru had done some low things to him in the past, yet this was unforgiveable. Somehow..he must've manipulated Kagome into being with him. He was deceiving her…because Kagome wouldn't ever…do anything like this to him…she would never.

She would never betray him.

"Inuyasha, no!" Before she could even call his name, he charged for them. He wanted Sesshomaru's blood. This time, he was going to kill him.

"SIT!"

Inuyasha's charge came to a halt, and he collapsed to the ground almost instantly. However, he didn't remain still. His teeth gritted, and he began to push himself up again- as if fighting the beads of enchantment.

"SIT!" Kagome screamed again, but he continued to struggle to push himself up after hitting the ground again. It pained her to do this to him, but if he attacked Sesshomaru, the demon-lord was likely to die.

"S-Sesshomaru, please go." By now, the tears were running down her cheeks. She couldn't even turn around to face him.

He yearned to take Kagome away from this...away from all of it. No matter how he wanted it, he knew that Kagome would be unhappy if he killed the half-breed. For her sake, he'd depart. This was not the proper time, but he'd return for her later. He had to. A blue light engulfed his entire form, and as a ball of light, he vanished- heading towards the horizon.

"Kagome!" Sango and Miroku called once they entered the clearing. They paced their way over, their faces incredulous. It hadn't taken Kagome long to "sit" Inuyasha, though for whatever reason wasn't clear.

Inuyasha strained to push himself up, and he growled until his chest hurt. "D-dammit it all..."

Kagome didn't know what to say to him, or what she could have said to make things right again. It wasn't long before she found herself slowly approaching him, dropping onto her knees in front of him once he sat up.

He couldn't even look at her. He was disgusted. He quickly got up and turned, stalking towards the demon slayer and monk.

Sango and Miroku both watched him storm passed him, and their eyes shifted to Kagome.

She was crying.

"Kagome, you aren't hurt are you?!" Sango asked, hurrying her way over to her friend. She quickly wrapped her arms around her, "We were worried about you…"

Miroku remained put for a moment before pressing after Inuyasha. Something wasn't right. Inuyasha and Kagome should have been rejoicing in finding one another, and Sesshomaru was nowhere in sight.

What could have possibly happened? When he caught up with Inuyasha, he was leaned against a tree, his arms folded in his haori. He had never seen him so…somber, "Inuyasha, did something happen?"

He should have known that Miroku would figure something out. He was observant and curious as all hell, "…It's none of your business, monk." He muttered, and it was a half-hearted insult.

"I think it is my business. Where'd Sesshomaru get to, what happened?"

The very thought of his older brother made him nauseous. He was going to kill Sesshomaru for this, he swore it. He shook his head and is upper lip twitched briefly, "They were together…"

He assumed as much, "He didn't harm Kagome any, I see…"

He wasn't as mad at Sesshomaru as much as he was disappointed and hurt by Kagome. She didn't even try to fight him off. She looked like she was enjoying how he caressed her. His fingers clenched into fists until his claws sunk into the flesh of his palms, drawing blood, "His hands were all over her….touching everywhere. She wasn't trying to stop him…"

Miroku's eyes widened. He was taken back and he felt a sickening feeling consume him. His throat went dry, and before he could speak, Sango and Kagome stalked out of the shrubbery behind him.

By the look on Sango's face, Kagome filled her in. She didn't know what to make of Kagome's actions. She was appauled...but she was sure Kagome had her reasons.

"Come on Sango..." Miroku nodded in her direction, "Lets go and find Kirara..." He proceeded off, knowing well that Sango understood what he meant.

Sango followed after him, resisting the urge to glance back at them. Kami, things were going to be hard now.

"Inuyasha, I can explain..." Kagome murmured once they were alone. She didn't once flick her gaze up to view him. She was too ashamed to.

"What is there to explain...? Inuyasha forced his voice to remain even, "You think what happened matters...?" It mattered. It mattered more than anything, but admitting that it mattered implied that Kagome was important to him. She was...but he obviously wasn't important to her.

"W-what do you mean it doesn't matter?" Kagome felt her chest tighten. She just...basically destroyed whatever relationship they had. It did matter, to her at least.

"You heard me." He swallowed a lump developing in his throat, "You do what you want to do. If you want to go around opening your legs for whoever asks you too, then go ahead. It's none of my business..." He shrugged.

Inuyasha was just protecting himself,and Kagome knew that. Still, he didn't have to say that. Kagome glared, "I did not sleep with him! How is this any different from what you do with Kikyo?!" She caught him and the dead priestess together on several occasions.

"Kikyo?! Don't bring Kikyo into this! It's not the same. You never caught me sucking face with Kikyo, or trying to mate her! Sesshomaru has tried to kill you! He's tried to kill me for Kami's sake! He's done the lowest of the low to us both! He's incapable of feeling kindness for people. He's just using you to get to me. Don't you get it?!" He grabbed her forearms tightly.

She refused to look at him, though he tried to peer into her azure eyes, "Kagome, he played you... He'd kill Sesshomaru for this- for toying with Kagome this way. Whatever problems his older brother had with him did not involve Kagome, or any of his friends. However, this was just like Sesshomaru- prodding his sorest spot- his love for Kagome.

It wasn't possible…was it? Her time with Sesshomaru felt so real, so intense. She quickly shook her head, her eyes closing tightly, "N-no, Inuyasha…no-" She knew Sesshomaru. He wouldn't do anything like that…would he? Whatever he did held purpose. He wouldn't possibly gain anything from tricking her."Inuyasha, I know him, I do he wouldn't do that."

He shook her gently, "Kagome, listen to me. Sesshomaru despises humans… He wouldn't love you, he wouldn't. It's not possible for him…" This was his fault. If he hadn't pushed Kagome away, she wouldn't have turned elsewhere for affection. He quickly pulled her against his chest, his arms tightly wrapping around her. "This is all my doing…I should have protected you…"

Sesshomaru wasn't the type of person Inuyasha was making him out to be…or was he? She closed her eyes tightly and buried her face against his shoulder.

She no longer knew what to make of things.


	8. Chapter 8

Sesshomaru had to see her again. He did not fully understand why he was going through so much trouble for one mere mortal, yet Kagome was different. Somehow, during their short time together, a bond grew between them. It was not a matter of pride or will, but it was a yearning, a yearning that he was not familiar with. It was far stronger than any war's surge, and far more alluring than any blood lust he experienced.

Illogical as it was, he could not think about anything but the girl and her touch. She plagued his thoughts constantly. He merely took pursuing her as a whim, nothing more. He was no fool. Demons were not known to act in such sentimental manners. When his taste for her was sated, he'd rid himself of her presence.

He had to. He could not go on this way for an eternity.

He remembered her begging him to leave. She was in tears, hoping he'd comply. His shoulder blade and upper arm were injured- the bandages sullied and a pronounced red.

She was only trying to protect him, and he had to remind himself that he left to please her.

He did not run away from Inuyasha.

The very thought of such made his blood run cold.

He could have killed the half-breed anytime he wished, but he would not do so with Kagome present.

The best thing to do then was to leave and forsake destroying Inuyasha, despite his desires.

It took him half a day's journey to find Rin and Jaken, and to his satisfaction, the little imp kept her alive and well. They were both in the same place he left them. However, now he was in a rather odd predicament.

He was unsure of where his idiot half-brother had taken Kagome. A midnight rain washed away all traces of their scent, and he was not necessarily familiar with any of his brother's traveling routes.

There was only the village- the village where the dead priestess Kikyo used to occupy. He found Inuyasha there once before during a stunt to retrieve the Tetsusaiga. With all of those humans in his group, his half-wit, half-brother would need a place to rest, and more than likely, they still used the village.

For now, it was the only lead he had. It was a matter of time before Inuyasha and his group returned to the village to rest and gain supplies. It would provide his best opportunity to see Kagome, and he realized he could not go empty handed. It was in his best interest to present something to her when he came. IT would make his presence easier to deal with. There was no telling what lies the half-breed had been feeding to her. A gift ensured that he came on peaceful terms.

He knew well that mortal girls were fond of gifts. Whenever he acquired a new kimono for Rin, she acted as though he had given her the world. He could see the uninhibited joy within her eyes when he presented the gift to her.

He assumed that Kagome would be no different. He only hoped, for Inuyasha's sake, that he was taking care of her.

The half-breed had a habit of keeping her in harm's way. He remembered just how careless Inuyasha was when it came to her safety. On several occasions, he nearly succeeded in killing her. By some fluke or unexplainable act, she survived. It was mere luck, but it was bound to run out sooner or later.

Xx

"I should be back in a day or so…" Kagome murmured, pulling her backpack's straps onto her shoulders. Her azure eyes flickered up to view Inuyasha's somber face. They were in Kaede's hut, alone, and it had been sometime since they spent time together. Ever since the incident with Sesshomaru, Inuyasha had been reluctant to let her out of his sight. Despite that, Kagome still avoided him.

She couldn't deny that she missed Sesshomaru, but she felt guilty about their time spent together. She felt as though she somehow betrayed Inuyasha. It was a nauseating feeling deep in her stomach. She was unsure of what felt worse, missing Sesshomaru, or feeling like Inuyasha's enemy.

She prayed to Kami that Sesshomaru's injuries were fully healed, but she knew better. If anything, Sesshomaru was already up and about, ignoring the pain his wounds created.

It was just like him.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha spoke her name softly, grasping onto her shoulders. His brows knitted as his golden orbs intently bore into her eyes.

"Hm?" She was broken from her thoughts by his voice. He was staring at her, and she could not help to notice how his gaze resembled Sesshomaru's. She looked away from him, finding the fire in the center of the hut oddly interesting.

"Just...don't come back by yourself. Wait for me to come get you. Alright?" He licked his dry lower lip. The only reason Sesshomaru got his hands on Kagome was because she was alone. He couldn't risk that happening again. The moment he spotted Sesshomaru, he was going to slit that sad excuse of a demon in half.

Of all of the low and disgusting things Sesshomaru was capable of, taking advantage of Kagome was the worst, and he wouldn't stand for it happening again.

"Okay…" She nodded, but she didn't meet his gaze. She couldn't. She doubted she could ever look at him without feeling guilty.

"I'll walk you to the well…" He swallowed a growing lump in his throat before beginning to guide her out of the hut.

Xx

"She left about an hour ago…" Sango sighed, folding her arms across the well's frame as she gazed into the depths of its darkness.

"Can you blame her?" Miroku made his way over, peering into the well the same.

"Not really I guess. Things between them have been pretty tense…" She sighed, "I mean, Kagome is a smart girl…but Sesshomaru of all people? Its…surprising really…"

"Oh, you don't think he forced himself on her?" Miroku's brow arched, "I'm sure that Sesshomaru was just taking advantage of her…"

"No…" She shook her head, "Kagome told me that it was mutual. I think that she really…cares about him."

"That may be, but it's hard to believe that Sesshomaru would have feelings for her. He despises humans as his birth right." The monk elevated his gaze towards the skies, "Hm, well, sitting out here will solve nothing…Let's go Sango…" He turned his back to her, beginning to pace towards the village.

"Right…" Reluctantly, she pushed herself up from the well and pressed after him.

"Miroku, Sango, come quick!" Shippo called, parading his way through the shrubbery of the forest. He nearly ran into the two, but he leaped into Sango's arms.

"Shippo, what is it?!" She asked, attempting to coax the answer out of the panting kit.

"Try to catch your breath! What is it?" The monk asked, gently beginning to pat him on the back.

"It's Inuyasha! He ran off! Grandma Kaede mentioned something about Kikyo!"

Xx

"Master Jaken, I beat you!" Rin threw her arms up above her head as she came running through the clearing. She nearly ran into the arms of the well, yet she skidded to a stop. "That was faster than last time!"

"You silly girl, we weren't racing!" Jaken's form hobbled over as he stumbled towards her position, "You stay away from there! You might fall in!" Rin seemed to ignore his scolding. She continued to twirl around the well, lost in her own world as it seemed. Scoffing, Jaken folded his arms across his chest before settling his gaze in the direction of his master, who was just emerging from the trees, "Uh, Lord Sesshomaru?! What are we doing here?"

Her scent ran cold there.

It was…strange, how her scent simply vanished. Without peering into the well, he could tell that the girl was no longer around. He was relatively disappointed, though it did not cross his features. He wordlessly flickered his gaze in the imp's direction.

Once he noticed the steel like gaze of his Master, Jaken's form shrunk into a bow, "Oh, Milord! Please forgive me…"

Inuyasha wasn't around, at least for the moment. Sesshomaru was more than certain that the half-breed would be over-protective of Kagome, but it seemed as though his brother was as careless as ever… Unless he was certain that Kagome was safe. Inuyasha was stupid, though he wasn't that stupid- at least the demon lord figured. Though, who knew? Inuyasha's stupidity seemed to know no bounds.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin inquired, her head setting at a slow tilt. She elevated her hand, pointing at the magenta colored bag tucked underneath his arm. It seemed to be clasped together in lavender ribbons, "What's that?" Before, she saw the bag tied to Ah Un's saddle, but she figured that it was for her. She was simply going to wait patiently until he offered it to her, but he seemed to have other intentions.

Jaken's curious gaze lifted the same. He noticed the silken bag in his Lord's hand long before, though he paid it no mind until now.

He only stared at Rin, his countenance forever unreadable, however his brow lethargically lifted.

It was Kagome's scent.

She was at the bottom of the well. He was unsure of how, yet she was back.

"Man, I knew that I forgot something." Her texts books. She wondered why her backpack felt lighter. Grumbling, she bit onto her lower lip and grabbed onto the wooden, rickety ladder that was inside of the well.

He recognized her voice immediately. It was indeed Kagome.

Jaken's form jumped backwards, and Rin's eyes grew large as saucers. "That's Lady Kagome's voice!"

Even the little imp recognized Inuyasha's wench's voice. But why? Why were they meeting her? His mouth fell agape as his large eyes quickly moved to his Master.

"Is anyone up there?" Kagome called, embarking her way out of the well. She was sure that she heard something. Her lips pursed as she lifted a hand on top of the well's arm, and she felt someone grasp her hand. It must vhae been Inuyasha still waiting around for her. She couldn't help smiling as she was pulled upwards- hastening her way out of the well, "Thanks Inu-…" Her voice quickly caught in her throat once she realized exactly who it was.

She couldn't even speak his name. She continued to stare at him, her azure eyes wide as saucers as he helped her out of the well.

This wasn't good, not good at all. Sesshomaru wasn't supposed to be there! No, they were never to meet alone again!

"…Jaken." Sesshomaru muttered his name, causing the little demon to jump to attention. His worried gaze moved between the two as they simply stared at one another. He had a sick feeling about this….a really sick feeling. "…Right Milord. This way Rin. I think I saw some flowers back the way we came." He quickly grabbed onto her kimono sleeve, beginning to pull her after him.

"Oh, but I want to spend time with Lady Kagome!" Rin groaned, though Jaken continued to lead her away, squawking about having time for it later.

Kagome was nervous to see Rin leave. With her gone, there was no telling what Sesshomaru would do- what he would make her feel…or how she'd give into his touch. Her stomach churned and she lowered her gaze.

He was still as beautiful as she remembered- with the same commanding presence. He was staring at her heatedly- as he always did, as if taking in the very essence of her soul. If Inuyasha was around, he would have since come charging through the trees. No, he was gone again, off somewhere, to her dismay.

She wished that he was there.

She wasn't able to face Sesshomaru alone, not under the pretenses that they departed.

"…You seem dejected." His voice entered her senses, and she couldn't help lifting her gaze to face him. He figured that the girl would be reluctant to meet him again. She had been exposed to the lies of the half-breed over the span of several days. There was no doubt Inuyasha made him out to be the monster that he very well was. However, things were different concerning Kagome.

"W-What are you doing here?"

Her words came as a surprise to him. Surely, she knew of why he sought her out, "…Is it not obvious?" He closed the distance between them with a single step, but Kagome continued to hold her ground.

She was not afraid of him, but he could sense her nervousness, "…No, it's not obvious. You shouldn't be here…" She forced her voice to remain even as she muttered the words. She wanted nothing more than to hug him, but she knew better. They couldn't continue down that path.

It was wrong.

Wordlessly, he held out the gift to her.

Was it...for her? Her cheeks grew red at the thought of such. "S-Sesshomaru, I can't…You can't be here! Go, before someone sees you!" She shrugged her backpack from her shoulders, "You have to leave!"

Wordlessly, he still held out the gift to her. He wasn't leaving, not after finding her. No matter Inuyasha's whereabouts, or any other factors, he was not leaving her, not again.

He wasn't planning on leaving. He must have figured out that Inuyasha was no where around.

But, she couldn't get wrapped up in him, not again.

She remained silent, and he drew closer to her, his arms securing around her waist.

"S-Sesshomaru...we can't-...We just can't..." She wanted to. By Kami, she wanted this, but this would hurt Inuyasha...it would.

"...No one commands me.." The words were not hissed, and they did not spill venomously from his lips. They were taunting words, as if he was...teasing her. He pressed a brief kiss to her lips, adoring the red coloration that dusted her cheeks.

He missed this.


	9. Chapter 9

Inuyasha warned her about this…about how Sesshomaru would try to get to her again... But he often ran off to see Kikyo, and nothing seemed to be wrong with that…He loved her, and he was willing to do anything to be with her. It was justified. She couldn't compare to Kikyo, not in his eyes. According to him, Kikyo was the better marksman, the better priestess, and was far "cuter" than she would ever be.

On the other hand, when she was with Sesshomaru, the weight of Kikyo's legacy did not crush her. She was her own person in his presence, and she felt like she meant everything to him.

He only had to look at her once, and she couldn't help blushing madly, whenever he touched her, her entire body responded, and when he kissed her, she felt like nothing else mattered so long as she was with him. She needed him, and she refused to go back to living in Kikyo's shadow.

Inuyasha couldn't tell her who she could and could not see. He despised Sesshomaru, but that didn't give a reason to dislike him as well. At least Sesshomaru was honest and direct about his feelings. She didn't have to guess whether or not he liked her.

There was nothing wrong with seeing Sesshomaru again.

Kami, she surely missed him enough. He meant so much to her, and she wouldn't sit and let Inuyasha's judgment get in the way. It wasn't fair.

Without another thought, she buried her face into his chest, "Sesshomaru…you really shouldn't be here…." She murmured, her fingers toying with the silver silk that was his hair. Now that she had him again, she doubted she'd be able to let go.

"…Why should I not be?" He asked, his voice a low resonance. He supposed her initial hesitance was understood. Now that he was uninjured, he was capable of readily doing her harm, and she had good reason to be afraid of him.

She tilted her head back to view his face, and just as she expected, those unwavering, golden orbs were focused back on her. She couldn't help smiling, "…You could get hurt."

"You fear for my safety do you? Ridiculous mortal…" Lowering his head, his lips traced a path from her jaw line, to her chin, and finally to her lips, where another lingering kiss was pressed.

"It's not ridiculous..." She murmured, pecking his lips back. Her brows knitted as she continued to stare at him, "I'm serious…

"I realize, however I am more curious of exactly how you got here…" Kagome seemingly appeared out of thin air, though he knew that it was not the case.

"Hm? Oh! Well, I told you I wasn't from around here, remember?" Once he nodded, she continued on, "The well connects my world to yours. I'm from five-hundred years into the present….as crazy as it sounds." She figured that Sesshomaru wouldn't believe her, but it was the truth.

"…Five-hundred years?" It did sound crazy, but she had no reason to lie to him. It was strange, how such a thing existed, yet only a mere mortal was capable of utilizing it. Kagome never failed to surprise him.

She broke his gaze, her eyes moving to the gift in his grasp, "Is it really for me?"

"I assume it is not to your liking…" He had been holding it for a while, and she seemed as though she didn't want to take it.

"Oh, no. It's not that! I'm grateful, really. It's not often that I get things like this…Uh…what is it?" Feeling her cheeks heat red, she reached out and hesitantly took the gift into her hands. She began to undo the lavender ribbon that held it together.

Inuyasha had never given her anything? Had Inuyasha any intention to mate Kagome? He protected her and it seemed he would die for her. Sesshomaru assumed that he loved her, though their relationship was not as it seemed. It was strained and one-sided. Kagome seemed to harbor feelings for him, while Inuyasha seemed uninterested, or only interested in the dead priestess.

He would have continued dwelling in his thoughts further, yet a high pitched sound brought him back to reality.

She didn't answer his question, no, and Kami forbid she kept her voice down.

She squealed.

She opened the gift, revealing the white and indigo kosode that bore pink butterflies splattered in various patterns over its sleeves. The accompanying yellow, ribbon obi hung loosely over her arms. "Sesshomaru, it's so pretty! I love it!" It wasn't long before she stood on her toes to kiss his magenta-striped cheek.

He was mildly confused, but it didn't cross his features. As far as he was concerned, it was mere clothing, nothing more. It held no real special value- though he believed she'd like it. He assumed Rin acted so giddy over gifts because she was a mere child, yet Kagome seemed thrilled the same. He assumed that the presents were of sentimental value to them- while they were merely tokens to him- simply keepsakes that were received on honorable terms. Mortal women were strange indeed.

"It's the right size and everything!" She continued on, a smile present on her features, but it soon began to vanish. She licked her lower lip before casting her gaze away from him, "…Oh, but Sesshomaru. I can't take this from you. It's too beautiful."

"It is yours. I suppose now you have something that fits." Not that he minded her excessively short kimono. It was different and relatively light compared the heavy layers most women adorned.

"It's. A. Skirt." She scowled, a brief frown touching her lips as she nudged him, "It does fit."

"It doesn't…" He reached down, grabbing the length of her "skirt" with a small tug. It barely covered her backside, not that he minded that either.

She beamed red, swatting at him before moving away a few paces, "It does too!" She had the mind to stick her tongue out at him, but she abruptly smiled, "Hey, Sesshomaru? After I change, what do you say to a little cloud gazing?"

Xx

"She's sleeping now…" Inuyasha muttered, stepping outside of Kaede's hut as he closed the opening strawflap behind him. Kikyo. After all of her time wandering, she ended up at the edge of the village. She was conscious, but she was weak, too weak to walk on her own. When he caught her scent, he rushed to her- knowing that it'd be some time before he saw her again.

Kikyo insisted on staying away from him, and he knew it was because of Kagome. Kikyo despised Kagome. Her time in death made her bitter, yet no one could blame her. Her life was prematurely ripped from her, and her reincarnation stole her place- stole her role as a priestess and stole her role in Inuyasha's heart.

"Did she say anything?" Kaede asked, her single eye concentrated on the conflicted hanyou.

"…Yeah." He nodded, though he kept his gaze low, his voice barely above a whisper, "She says that…the souls of the dead can no longer sustain her. She needs something else, something stronger…"

"…Inuyasha, ye can't be serious. The only thing that will sustain my sister is-"

"Kagome's soul, I know…I know, but I'd never ever do anything like that, Kaede." Keeping Kikyo meant giving Kagome up. Giving Kikyo up meant having Kagome. It was as though he was pitting lives against one another. He knew eventually that he would have to choose…but he didn't think it would occur so soon.

"…Ye might not have to, Inuyasha. Something will turn up. I gave her an elixir to cure her current ails. Perhaps it won't come down to her trying to steal Kagome's soul…" Something had to turn up, otherwise Inuyasha was going to be torn apart by this.

Xx

"I do not understand the purpose in this…"

"Sesshomaru…" Pursing her lips, Kagome glanced at him.

Sesshomaru was unsure of how Kagome convinced him to remove his armor and lie on his back for cloud gazing. He had never been one to rest unless he had to. Not to mention participating into her little game was absurd. His molten colored eyes flickered in her direction.

"There isn't a purpose in it. It's just a game…" She moved so that she could rest on top of him, folding her arms across his chest like she used to.

"…Why do you do such meaningless things? It creates a purposeless existence." Cloud gazing was not beneficial in any aspect. Lifting a hand, the back of his clawed index finger brushed over her cheek, "Is it because you are a mere human and you have not better to do?" Humans often indulged in activities for leisure. Demons that lacked pride were not so different.

"I am human. Sue me…" She grinned, leaning down to press her lips against his own. Sesshomaru didn't understand the purpose in games, but she couldn't fault him. He was always so…serious. She doubted he took the time to really enjoy anything, except for killing. Her palms moved to set on his shoulder in an effort to push herself up, but she felt him tense underneath her.

His injury.

Kagome caught his small reaction to pain, no matter how slight it was. She quickly broke the kiss, her eyes wideneding, "I'm sorry! It hasn't healed yet, has it?" That particular wound had been severe, she remembered. The bone and flesh there had been virtually destroyed, as she recalled, and Sesshomaru was moving around as if it did not exist. She had a mind to scold him.

"Kagome..." He did not bother sitting up. He merely wrapped his arms back around her, pulling her against his chest, "You worry of me. It is foolish and misplaced."

"You're still hurt…" She reminded him as her brows knitted, but she allowed herself to be pulled back against him, "It's not foolish."

"It is." The wound was grave, even for his healing factor. The bone had mended, yet not the flesh, not fully yet. Still, Kagome had no reason to worry as she did. She understood how powerful he was, but that did not stop her from attempting to care for him. That was what brought them together in the first place.

Kagome huffed, though she remained silent. There was no reasoning with him. He was too stubborn.

"That kimono…suits you well." He doubted he had seen any other human that looked as she did- possessing alabaster skin, azure doll-shaped eyes, and dark ribbons of hair that reached her lower back. She was beautiful, more so striking than any demoness by far…and she was his. In this very moment, she was his, his to have and protect. No one could take her from him.

By Kami, he always made her red when he looked at her like that. A blush spread from her cheeks until it reached the tips of her ears.

Before she knew it, he was leaning close to her, running his lips over one of her burning cheeks. "Remain here with me…"

"Sesshomaru…" She could feel her heart beginning to thump against her ribcage. She wanted to spend time with like this always- wrapped so far in his attention that the outside world no longer mattered…but she couldn't forsake her current duties. "I can't…"

"…Is it because of the half-breed?"

Kagome quickly shook her head, her hands balling into fists, "Inuyasha? No, no not Inuyasha." At least he wasn't the only reason, "I have to collect the shards of the Sacred Jewel. I'm the one that shattered it. There's also so many people that could use my help in the feudal era. I can't just abandon all of that."

Sesshomaru would never degrade himself by interfering with human affairs. If Kagome did accompany him, he'd assist in completing the Sacred Jewel, for her sake and her's alone.

"We're just from two different worlds, Sesshomaru. You wouldn't understand…" Even though she thought of Sesshomaru as kind, she knew well that only she and Rin received that treatment.

"…So long as your reasons are not merely Inuyasha." The half-breed did not care for her, as far as Sesshomaru was concerned. Kagome needed not waste time waiting for him. He was too indecisive, "Yet, what makes you believe that you will not accomplish your goals if you accompany me? I plan to destroy Naraku. We are both bound to encounter the Jewel Shards."

Kagome huffed, moving off of him as she sat up. She soon folded her arms underneath her breast, "Even if Inuyasha was the only reason, I wouldn't admit it. I'd sound seriously desperate…" She snorted softly, but she perked up, "…That is true. I could also collect the Jewels that way…but…" She'd have to leave her friends. Well, she could visit them, couldn't she? Everyone in her group would be worried about her though. The only crime would have not been giving Sesshomaru this chance. She smiled somewhat shyly, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, "…I'll go with you." It wasn't long before she latched onto him for another hug.

That was what he desired to hear . When she fell into his grasp, his arms entwined around her. Even he knew that she could not up and leave. She'd need preparation time, and he was willing to give it to her.

What if my only real reason for not going with you was Inuyasha, what would you do about it?" She abruptly asked, arching her brow as she peered at him.

"I will kill Inuyasha, eventually, but I would hasten his demise if that were the case." Was his simple response.

Her brow nearly twitched. Her grasp on him loosened as she peered at him closely, "Sesshomaru, you aren't still planning to steal the Tetsusaiga, are you?" She figured that they crossed that bridge long ago, but she should have known better, "Can't you just…let that go, for me?

"You misunderstand. This relationship that we have has nothing to do with Inuyasha, or the Tetsusaiga. I will have what is rightfully mine." Kagome's presence did not change his path of conquest. No outside factors would deter him from gaining the Tetsusaiga.

"Well, I think that you are a strong demon, and you should try to stand on your own without the Tetsusaiga." She couldn't figure out why Sesshomaru thought he needed the Tetsusaiga. He was already dangerous without a powerful sword. Someone like Inuyasha needed it- someone that truly had the heart to protect others. Sesshomaru would only use it in war.

"…You speak nonsense." That particular thought never crossed hi line of thinking. Standing on his own meant merely using his own strength- instead of his father's. It meant that he would stop pursuing Inuyasha and the Tetsusaiga, but he could not fathom entering into battle without it.

"You call it nonsense, but it's the truth. You're a great demon, and I'm sure that you're far stronger than you think…" With a peck at his lips, she nodded, passing him a reassuring smile, "Just try it, okay?"

At the trees near the edge of the clearing, Kagura's form observed. She had been there for some time- merely observing, "Since when did Inuyasha's wench start hanging around with Sesshomaru?" It was a new development that Naraku was going to be so very interested in, she was sure.

Xx

three days, he promised he'd come for her. No matter where she was, no matter who she was with, he gave his word that he'd find her.

She knew she had to explain it all to her friends first. As Kagome stalked her way towards Kaede's village the following morning, she could already feel nervousness welling within her stomach. She was still in the kimono Sesshomaru gave her, and she was sure his scent was all over her.

Inuyasha was going to feel betrayed- like she lied about going home so that she could be Sesshomaru, but that just wasn't the case. She doubted he would believe her though.

To her surprise, when she approached the village, Inuyasha was already outside of Kaede's hut waiting for her, alongside the rest of her friends. They all had apprehensive looks plastered on their faces, as if something bad had happened.

Inuyasha was the first to look up from his resting position against the wooden frame of the quaint hut. His brows knitted, and he merely stared at her. "K-Kagome?"

"Kagome!" Shippo announced, scurrying his way to her as he hopped into her arms.

She caught him, hugging the little kit against her chest, but her eyes didn't leave Inuyasha face.

She recognized that look.

Inuyasha always looked like that whenever he betrayed her by going to see Kikyo.

Sango stood from her position on the ground, soon biting her lower lip. She didn't say anything and neither did Miroku as he stood. They both had mixed feelings about Inuyasha aiding Kikyo.

Kikyo was in danger, and needed medical attention. They didn't turn her down, but they didnt expect her to stick around. Inuyasha asked her to stay with them, since she was so weak.

They all knew that Kikyo meant Kagome harm and that they really had no business taking her in. When it came to Kikyo though, Inuyasha lost every bit of common sense he had. His lover for her always blinded him.

A silence lingered over them all before Kagome slowly sat Shippo on the ground. She could feel her chest tighten as she paced her way over to Kaede's hut. She walked directly passed Inuyasha, and he glanced away from her, not willing to meet her gaze.

"Kagome…" Sango breathed. She knew well that this was going to be hard on her friend. This was one of the problems with Kikyo traveling with them and Kagome. Things were going to be ridiculously tense, and no one was going to be truly at ease.

"Kikyo's in there, isn't she?" Kagome motioned towards the hut's flap, her eyes flickering in Sango's direction.

Swallowing a lump growing her throat, the demon slayer nodded.

A long, exasperated sigh fell from Kagome's lips, but she merely nodded. She recalled seeing Kikyo days before when she tended to Sesshomaru's wounds. In hindsight, Kikyo did not seem to be in good condition. She was walking as if each step carried a tremendous weight behind it. More than likely, she was hurt badly, and sought out Kaede for assistance. It had to have been a last resort effort. Even when Kikyo was critically injured by Naraku, she kept to herself- not allowing aid from Inuyasha or anyone else.

"Wait…" It wasn't long before Inuyasha grabbed her by her forearms and had his nose pressed against her neck and collar as she sniffed at her. He pulled away, a mortified look crossing his features, "…you were supposed to go home! Why the hell is Sesshomaru's scent all over you….And where'd you get those clothes?!" That kimono reeked heavily of Sesshomaru. All of Kagome's body did. He was so lost in trying to avoid her that he nearly missed it.

Today just wasn't the day. With a huff, Kagome folded her arms across her chest, "And what's it to you if I did go see him?" There was no telling how long Kikyo had been cooped up in Kaede's hut. He had no right to accuse her.

"Kagome, you went to see him again?" Miroku asked, his brows lifting in incredulity. He figured that they had crossed this bridge before, and that they all had no intention of going back. None of them trusted Sesshomaru, since he had not really given them a reason to.

"Yes, I did go home, but I realized I left my books here, so I came back, and he was at the well." She explained with a soft snort.

Inuyasha had seen those "text books" of Kagome's lying in the corner in Kaede's hut, but it never occurred to him to take them to her. A soft growl began in his chest as he slapped his palms against his face, soon sliding them down, "Kagome, you can't see Sesshomaru! You're going to get yourself killed!" He couldn't keep a handle on anything. Once he figured he had Kagome safe, there Sesshomaru was yet again, playing her.

"He doesn't want to kill me!" She shot back at him, "You don't know him!"

"He's tried to kill you, you idiot! What does it take for you to realize he is dangerous!" He spat, grabbing a portion of her kimono sleeve, "Take this stupid thing off!" Sesshomaru's scent was getting to him. He thought that Kagome was safe and away from his brother in her era. He had just given Kagome over on a silver platter without even realizing it. It was careless and stupid. If anything, he should have guarded the well…but he had been so preoccupied with Kikyo.

"No!" It was gift, and she'd wear it regardless of what Inuyasha said. She jerked away from him, but in turn the silken material shredded with a large rip. A gaping hole now lay in the upper portion of one of her sleeves.

Kagome's azure yes grew large as saucers at the realization that the fabric had been torn. Her eyes hardened over in a glare before she slung her index finger out at him, "SIT!"

With a loud yelp, Inuyasha cratered the ground.

"You ruined it, look at it!" She didn't know how she was going to explain it to Sesshomaru. She didn't know how he'd react when she told him that Inuyasha destroyed it while they were fighting, "Now what am I going to tell him?! It was a gift, you moron! I was going to change clothes, eventually, but you just had to force it!" Grumbling, she marched off, directly into the hut.

"She's pretty mad Inuyasha…." Shippo muttered, poking the back of Inuyasha's head. The half demon was mumbling something to himself as he attempted to get back to his feet.

When she entered Kaede's hut, Kagome immediately spotted the form of the tragic priestess as she lied out across from Kaede. She was unconscious, heavily covered with blankets, and they had a fire going for her. Kagome could only stare at her for sometime before looking over at Kaede. She smiled weakly, "…Is she going to be okay?"

Even Kaede was surprised to see Kagome so calm- even though they all heard the "sit" she gave Inuyasha. "Aye child, she is fine…And how are you?"

"Who me? Oh, I'm fine, really!" She nodded a few times, though the smile began to fade, "She's staying, isn't she?"

"Aye, Kikyo is incapable of traveling on her own…" The older woman cast her single eye on her sleeping sister. She knew that Kagome would not be comfortable with Inuyasha's decision. No one was.

"…I see." It was the only answer she could think of. At least now she knew her friends would be able to hunt with the Jewel Shards without her. They wouldn't be lacking anything when she left with Sesshomaru. It was a bittersweet feeling.

Xx

"What the hell is wrong with you!? You can't leave us and travel with Sesshomaru! Kagome, what has gotten into you!?" She was already sneaking off meeting Sesshomaru, but now she wanted to travel with him? This was probably what that sneaky bastard wanted. Somehow, Kagome was playing right into his trap. She was usually smarter than that. She knew better than to mess around with someone like Sesshomaru. What brought out her infatuation with him?

"Kagome, it's not because of Kikyo, is it?" Sango quickly asked, viewing her friend from across their campfire. If Kagome was just leaving because of inuyasha's decision, then she'd all leave. It wasn't fair for Kagome to feel unwanted.

"Oh, no, not at all…" Kagome drew her legs against her chest, now adorning her usual school getup, "I didn't even know Kikyo was here when I told Sesshomaru I was going to leave with him."

"Are you sure about this, Kagome?" Miroku asked, his lips pursing, "Do know that we wish the best for you, but I can't help but be skeptical of Sesshomaru's actions. Why would he want…you? He hates humans."

"That's what I keep trying to tell her!" Inuyasha bit out, leaning in close to Kagome as he glared, "The moment he comes for you, I'm going to slit that sad excuse for a demon in half and be done with this!"

For a lingering while, Kagome stared blankly at him before she finally spoke, "…Inuyasha, SIT."

With that, Inuyasha's form cratered the ground, for what seemed to be the second time that day.

"And yes, I'm sure…" Her azure eyes flickered in Miroku's direction, "Even though he may despise humans, and despite our differences in the past. I really feel as though he cares about me. I feel safe with him."

"Well, Kagome, I wish you well then…" Miroku smiled weakly, granting her a small nod. He could see that there was no stopping her. Sure, they'd worry about her constantly, but he trusted Kagome's judgment.

"Me too…" Sango added. She didn't trust Sesshomaru, not one bit, but she trusted Kagome fully. If her friend felt like this was the right thing to do, then she'd back her, though she felt wary about the entire situation.

"What?!" Inuyasha began to peel himself off of the ground, "You two can't be serious!" He fell back into his original sitting position, "Am I the only one using logic here?! He's obviously setting her up for a trap!"

"If he is, or if he isn't, I'm still going with him, Inuyasha. You can't stop me. You're just being selfish!"

"Inuyasha, maybe it's for the best." Sango shrugged her shoulders, her brown orbs moving to Inuyasha's form from across the fire, "We all know that...Kikyo is bitter over Kagome being with you." Sango added, her lips pursing, "We all know that she's probably still after Kagome's soul."

"Sango has a point, Inuyasha. If Kagome is right about Sesshomaru…" Which Miroku doubted, "She would be out of harm's way, at least for a little while. This way, Kikyo will be able to recover." The monk didn't like it though, not one bit, but he could tell Kagome was determined

"Selfish? I'm looking out for your damn safety. If anything, you're the selfish one! You're leaving us high and dry for Sesshomaru of all people!" He folded his arms within his kimono sleeves, "…Just, whatever. Go with him. I don't give a damn anymore, so just spare me." His golden eyes concentrated on their fire. He wasn't going to win this argument, he could see that, but he knew he couldn't let Sesshomaru gain the victory. Kagome was the bond that held their group together. He couldn't let her leave.

He wasn't ready to choose between her and Kikyo.

Xx

Kagome spent that time preparing for Sesshomaru's arrival. She explained to her family that she was temporarily breaking away from Inuyasha and her friends to travel with his brother. Neither her mother, grandpa, or Souta were too thrilled by the idea.

No matter what anyone thought though, Kagome was content with her decision. Besides, if anything happened, she was just going to return to Kaede's village. It was simple, or so she figured.

Inuyasha hadn't said anything to her that entire morning. He just watched her from the tree tops as she continued to gather her things.

Miroku and Sango both helped her, even Shippo. They all knew that Sesshomaru's arrival was going to be more than awkward, especially if Inuyasha decided to jump in. They just wanted this transition to go as smoothly as possible for Kagome- or as smooth as things could have gotten.

Inuyasha had something else in mind.

Kagome felt nervousness well in her stomach the moment she felt a hint of Sesshomaru's strong, demonic aura.

He was on his way.

She felt..giddy, all of a sudden before she hopped up, grabbing her things.

Inuyasha wasn't far behind her, having since gotten down from the tree and was pacing his way after her. He grabbed her wrist, "You're not going with him!" He sensed the bastard too.

She couldn't very well SIT him while he was holding her. He was liable to drag her down too. She groaned and tugged her wrist from him, "Inuyasha, let go!"

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?!" Sango asked, quickly making her way over to the two. Miroku and Shippo weren't far behind.

"You're not going with him!" He repeated, his grip like iron. He doubted any of them could pry him off of Kagome, and he didn't plan on letting go of her anytime soon!

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed his name again, still tugging away from him. She knew it was useless. Even though he was a half-demon, his strength was ten times all of theirs combined. Still, she thought that he understood how important this was to her. She thought he trusted her enough to know that she'd only make sound decisions.

Inuyasha didn't respond. He had fallen silent, his gaze focused behind her.

Kagome blinked a few times before turning around to follow his line of sight. It wasn't long before Miroku and Sango did the same.

Sesshomaru was standing a few meters behind them- his countenance stoic and regal as ever.

Kagome wasn't sure how long he had been there, simply observing. "…Sesshomaru." She breathed his name, and Inuyasha's grip went lax on her. She finally slipped free, but it wasn't long before Inuyasha was in front of her, his hand resting on Tetsusaiga's hilt.

The only thing Kagome wanted to do was run to him, but she knew that would start a fight between them.

"…I've been waiting a long time for this." Inuyasha muttered, his brows narrowing as he continued to stare at his older brother- his gaze unwavering.

This was what Kagome feared. Now, if she "sat" Inuyasha, Sesshomaru would take advantage of it and kill him. She wouldn't be able to deal with the fact that she assisted his death. Her heart began to race behind her rib cage. Sango grabbed her, dragging her away from the two, and she followed- knowing she'd only be in harm's way.

"…If you do not yield Inuyasha, I will cut you down…" Sesshomaru spoke, his voice smooth, yet laced with his venomous intent. His golden orbs grew focused on Kagome's form. He could see the fear within her eyes- he could smell it. However, he could also see the need for him behind those azure depths. She wanted to go with him, she did, but Inuyasha was getting in the way.

Inuyasha had only sealed his own demise. Sesshomaru wasn't feeling particularly calm at the moment- knowing that Inuyasha had been handling Kagome the way he did. He was going to make his death swift and painless. He was in that kind of mood. Whatever fight Inuyasha brought was going to be put to a swift end. Ah Un, Rin, and Jaken were waiting at the edge of Inuyasha's Forest, and he assured him that he was going to return to them soon. He planned to keep that promise.

Whichever way the fight ended, no one was going to truly win. Kagome's eyes quickly moved between the two and she felt light headed.

Abruptly, Inuyasha's nose wrinkled.

He smelled something, a scent he did not like.

Kagome sensed a few Jewel Shards approaching, and they were approaching quickly. It all hit her at once. "Oh, no, no no no!" If things weren't complicated enough already, "Not now, not now!" Crapcrapcrapcrap, not him! He couldn't be coming, not now!

"Dammit!" Inuyasha barked, taking his eyes from Sesshomaru to focus on the approaching miniature tornado as it sped towards them.

"…This…is bad." Miroku drawled out, watching as the whirlwind died down, revealing the form of Koga.


	10. Chapter 10

"Mornin' Kagome." Koga called, oblivious to the completely mortified look plastered on her face. She honestly looked like she was prepared to keel over and die from her heart falling into her gut.

She knew that Inuyasha and Koga could fight back and forth without taking one another's lives, but with everyone's blood running high and Sesshomaru in the mix, they were all bound to kill each other

"Get out of here you mangy wolf!" Inuyasha barked, taking his attention away from his brother. Koga had a tendency to openly display his affection for Kagome, but in this case, he was going to be torn apart because of it. Inuyasha disliked Koga. Hell, he didn't give a damn about him, but he wasn't going to let Sesshomaru of all people kill him!

Ignoring Inuyasha's commands as always, Koga blew passed him- the tornado forming again before he was directly in front of Kagome, the wind dying down. He immediately took her hands into his own, "Kagome, unfortunately, I've been unable to track down Naraku. Next time, I'll bring you his head."

Turning his back to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha began to charge his way over to the two, "Get your hands off of her!"

Once Koga saw Inuyasha approaching, his arms possessively wrapped around Kagome tightly, "Back off mangy mutt!"

But, Inuyasha seemed to have other plans in mind. He grabbed one of Koga's legs, trying to pry him off, "Stupid wolf!"

All the while, Kagome just wanted to crawl under a rock and again, die! There was no other time in her life that she felt like curling up and hiding herself from the world. She was being jerked back and forth as Inuyasha and Koga continued to tug on her, "Guys, guys, wait a second! Let go of me!"

Just as she expected, she was ignored as Koga and Inuyasha continued to hurl insults at one another- now caught up in arguing.

During all of the commotion, Kagome nearly forgot about Sesshomaru. Only Kami knew exactly what he was thinking. Her eyes flickered over to where he was originally standing…but he wasn't there.

Something told her to look up.

Sesshomaru was already descending on them, the green glow of his hand unmistakable.

She squeaked, catching both Koga's and Inuyasha's attention. Both of their eyes darted upwards and they quickly jumped back- nearly missing a swipe of Sesshomaru's claws. He landed directly in front of Kagome, his expression unreadable.

"Who the hell are you….and what you are doing next to my Kagome!" A growl filled Koga's throat as he began to approach the pure-blooded Inu-Youkai, "You nearly smell like this mutt Inuyasha."

"Koga, I'm going with him!" Kagome peered out from behind Sesshomaru, "Please, don't do this!" She didn't bother reasoning with Sesshomaru. Koga was going to sign and stamp his own death warrant if he did try to fight Sesshomaru.

"Oh, finally getting tired of Inuyasha, huh? Well, you didn't have to go and find this loser. You can travel with me and my pack. You are my woman after all…" He smiled broadly as he lifted his brow. However, he grew impatient once Kagome didn't move, "Well, come on already!"

Kagome could feel her brow twitch and she released a long exasperated sigh, her shoulders sagging, "Please don't kill him." She muttered, only loud enough for Sesshomaru to hear.

"Heh, don't go trying to convince her otherwise. She's stuck on the bastard." The words fell bitterly from Inuyasha's mouth. He grabbed Tetsusaiga's hilt before drawing the blade free. It transformed with a loud screech and an ominous, golden glow.

"Kagome…you're in love with…with him!?" Koga asked, pointing a finger towards Sesshomaru. By his tone, he was taken back.

Kagome's entire face beamed red before she screamed, "I don't think that's any of your business, Koga!"

"It is my business! You're my fiancé, and I'm not going to let some two bit hack take you away from me!"

Sesshomaru had heard enough. Kagome didn't return the wolf's feelings, that much was obvious, so there was no need for him to even ask about it. If anything, she seemed to want to get away from the both of the ignorant fools. That was all that mattered, "Stay there, where you are, or I will tear you both to shreds…"

Kagome hoped they listened. If they didn't this was going to be a real blood bath, "Koga, Inuyasha, listen to him!"

"Kagome, get out of the way!" Sango and Miroku urged, knowing well that their friend was smack dab in the middle of the fight that was about to ensue.

"No!" She was staying, staying at Sesshomaru's side. She couldn't risk Koga running away with her. Sesshomaru was bound to kill him then, if Inuyasha didn't get him first. She had to stay. She quickly grabbed one of Sesshomaru's hands, "I'm leaving with him!"

"You don't know what you're saying!" Koga growled out, fully sprinting towards her, despite Sesshomaru's presence.

The wolf was fast, Sesshomaru dare say a bit faster than he was, yet Koga was impulsive- and his movements painfully predictable. Sesshomaru could see the kick the wolf was trying to deliver before it fully came into completion.

He wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist and she screamed once they jumped high…really, really high. She threw her arms around Sesshomaru's neck, but they abruptly paused right there in midair. Sesshomaru's free hand darted out, and from his claws extended a thin, whip-like strand of yellow energy. It spread in arch before its tip struck Koga dead center between his eyes, causing the wolf to be thrown backwards.

Koga barely saw it coming.

He hit the ground hard with a groan before he attempted to roll onto his side.

It wasn't long before Inuyasha jumped, reaching his brother and swinging the Tetsuaiga at him, "Nevermind Koga! This is between you and me!"

Kagome couldn't help screaming as Inuyasha came swsnging the Tetsusaiga in their direction, "Inuyasha, SIT!"

A look of surprise crossed Inuyasha's features before the beads of subjugation took over. He was dragged back down towards the ground, cratering it before Sesshomaru and Kagome landed.

Koga was up by then. His blue eyes were hardened over in a glare, but he managed to stand, "That was a cheap shot!"

"You are only a Neanderthal..." Sesshomaru's fingers flexed, the crude popping sound of the digits moving in and out of their sockets being heard, "You won't be as fortunate next time…"

"I'm going to bash your skull in!" He didn't even know the smug bastard, but he hated him, hated him already. He took off, crossing the distance to the pair in seconds. Koga drew his fist back, aiming to slam it forward into Sesshomaru's face.

Easily, Sesshomaru evaded, moving off to the right of the blow. Koga swiped again, and Sesshomaru simply moved in the opposite direction.

The blood was going to the wolf's brain.

Sesshomaru saw an opening, and he took it. His had grabbed Koga around the throat and he easily lifted him, poison seeping into his hand as he began to incinerate the flesh around his neck.

Koga's calloused hand immediately went to Sesshomaru's wrist as his grasp tightened.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome tugged at the arm that was holding Koga, but it didn't' do any good. He didn't seem to set on releasing Koga, not yet anyway.

Inuyasha was just getting up from being "sat"- his face covered in dirt as he tried to catch his breath. He damned Kagome. She didn't know what the hell she was doing. She was basically choosing the enemy's side, but he couldn't quit, not now, "Kagome, you traitor!"

"Sesshomaru please…" She could feel her chest tighten. Sesshomaru told Koga to stay out of the way and he didn't, and Sesshomaru wasn't known to go back on his death promises.

Abruptly, Koga fell to the ground. He immediately began to gag, grabbing at his throat and the burned flesh there.

Sesshomaru did release him.

He heard the wavering in Kagome's voice as she begged him not to snap the wolf's neck in two.

His golden eyes landed on her form, as he expected, she was smiling- her eyes filled with relief and complete adoration. She threw her arms around him tightly, and he didn't fail to do the same.

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"

It was Inuyasha.

His claws were drawn, prepared to strike.

He was going to hit Sesshomaru.

Kagome quickly moved the front of the demon lord at the last, splitting second.

Inuyasha didn't realize she was moved to the front of his brother until it was too late.

His claws tore into Kagome's arm, causing her to be thrown to the ground, landing with a sickening thud.

She was unconscious

Inuyasha didn't have time to react. He parted his lips to scream her name, but Sesshomaru unsheathed Tokijin. The crackle of electricity was heard, and before Inuyasha could move, thousands of volts of blue energy wracked through his body. He fell on his back, his body writhing in agony.

Sesshomaru wanted to do far more, but Kagome was hurt, and he did not readily know how badly. Blood seeped from the wound on her arm, but she didn't appear to be moving.

"Kagome!" Sango called her name, intent on running over, but Miroku grabbed her hand, holding her back.

The monk wasn't sure how Sesshomaru was going to react to Sango's presence, "Sango, Sango, she's alright, she's alright! It's just a flesh wound…" There wasn't enough blood for the wound to be considered serious, "Inuyasha must've held back at the last second."

She wasn't dead, that much Sesshomaru could tell, yet the very thought of her being hurt disturbed him greatly. He wordlessly proceeded over to Kagome and gathered her in his arms. Without another look at Inuyasha, Koga, Miroku, or Sango, he proceeded off, his golden orbs locked with Kagome's face.

"K-Kagome…" Inuyasha spoke her name, his voice a raspy whisper. His vision was blurred and his body refused to move. Blackness was covering the corners of his vision, and he knew then that he was losing consciousness.

Xx

"I really hope that Kagome is alright…" Shippo sighed softly, pursing his lips, "…I hope that Sesshomaru is taking good care of her…"

"Something tells me that she's okay Shippo. You should have seen it, Kaede. She really is fond of Sesshomaru." Sango sat beside the small kit, bringing him into her lap, "And…he kept her safe during the entire fight. I think that…he's going to take care of her…"

"I believe so as well." Miroku nodded, churning a log into the hut's fire, "I merely hope that Koga stays away from them. Sesshomaru isn't known to be patient. Koga will end up getting himself killed."

"Well, ye must understand. Sesshomaru hurt his pride. He defeated him and then took Kagome." The old woman muttered.

"I don't know. If anything, Inuyasha is the one that feels the worst…" Miroku pointed out, "He's heading out tomorrow morning after them."

The conversation would have gone farther, but they all heard soft raspy groan.

Kikyo.

The dead priestess' lids parted, revealing her daze brown orbs. She swallowed thickly a few times, attempting to form words. She felt so weak…so cold, as if she was reliving her death all over again.

"Kikyo?" Kaede inquired, moving over to her sister's side, "Shippo, go and get Inuyasha! Ye better hurry!"

The small kit stood stunned before he nodded, scampering his way to the outside.

"The girl…she is...gone?" Kikyo managed to utter out, her body only wanting the rest and souls it required.

"…Aye, she is gone…" Kaede murmured back


	11. Chapter 11

Numbness lifted from her body, giving weigh to pain. She groaned, her eyes remaining closed tightly.

Her head felt like it was going to explode.

She inhaled a sharp breath, her azure orbs finally opening. She nearly winced at the stinging pain in her arm. Where was she? She began to glance about, almost frantically. She was on her back, lying on something soft.

It was dark now, and she could barely see anything.

The last thing she remembered was darting in front of Sesshomaru when Inuyasha tried to attack him. Inuyasha probably thought she was a traitor because of it. Most of all, he was probably distraught that he hurt her. She bet that he was so worried.

She swallowed down harshly, slowly sitting up. She could already tell that she wasn't near Kaede's village, or any other place she recognized for that matter.

Fear welled in her stomach.

Who had taken her then…Koga, or Sesshomaru...or had Inuyasha run away from them both?

"I thought that you no longer feared me..." Sesshomaru could smell the uneasiness radiating from the girl in waves. It was that scent that told him she was awake.

He was unsure of when Kagome would awaken, yet the lump on her head assured that she would be out for hours. Instead of heading back to Rin and Jaken as he planned, he merely took her south of the village-far away from his idiotic half-brother and the lowly wolf. He knew that the little girl would be distraught over the sight of Kagome's injury, and he didn't want to upset her.

"Sesshomaru…" She recognized his even timbre immediately. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness before she spotted him. She quickly hugged him tightly as she buried her face into his shoulder, "I missed you.…What happened…are Inuyasha and Koga alright?".

They weren't dead- at least he did not believe they were. Inuyasha was knocked unconscious, but he wasn't dead, unfortunately. The wolf was still breathing when he left, so it was safe to assume that he was alright the same. They deserved far less than the mercy he demonstrated. Still, it seemed strange that Kagome was worried about their safety. It was Inuyasha that harmed her, and it had taken every ounce of his control not to maim the half-breed. He knew that if he did harm Inuyasha further, Kagome was going to be reluctant to go with him.

She was going to choose to stay with her friends if Inuyasha was too severely hurt.

He drew his fingers through the girl's dark tresses, soon leaning in to plant a kiss against her mouth, "Worry not of them. They are not in their graves…"

Kagome could feel her entire face warm up from the firm kiss, but she glanced at the make-shift bandage around her upper arm... Inuyasha's claws cut in deep, but it wasn't the worst wound she received. At least the pain was bearable, "You wrapped it for me?"

After a moment, he merely nodded. Kagome wrapped his wounds enough for him to know her methods. He merely hoped that the wound healed well, though it was just a flesh injury.

Humans were just so fragile.

"You did good…" Kagome felt herself smiling again, though it died down, "I really should return to my friends…they may be worried about me…."

"No..."

Her brows furrowed, "…What do you mean no? Sesshomaru, I'm sure they're worried sick about me!"

He had gone through the trouble of retrieving Kagome. He wasn't going to allow her to be taken from him- all because of her friends' worries. He remained silent, merely staring into the pools of her eyes.

Sesshomaru wasn't going to take her back, she could tell. She managed to glare at him before snorting, folding her arms across her chest, "Take me back."

He had no intention of taking her back, not now at least. He ignored her words for the time being, pressing his lips against her own again, allowing the kiss to linger on. He could hear the girl's heart rate increase, yet she remained in the same position- her arms folded as she attempted to keep her scowling façade up.

It was beginning to fall.

His tongue easily parted her lips- entering into the wet, familiar cavern as he savored her taste.

Kagome could feel nervousness well within her again. Sesshomaru's skilled tongue slid passed her own- further deepening their kiss. Her lips were steadily becoming kiss bruised, and she felt as though her heart was going to jump out from behind her rib cage.

She felt helpless…Her fingers grabbed small fistfuls of his kimono, and she noticed then that his armor and boa had been discarded. That must've been the soft fur she was lying on before. She broke the kiss, her breathing labored, but he connected their lips again- sucking onto her lower lip before gentle sinking his fangs into the lush flesh.

She remembered this familiar feeling- the sweet weakness that overcame here whenever Sesshomaru touched her that way. Her eyes grew heavily lidded as her body grew shrouded in lust.

She was afraid, but she trusted Sesshomaru.

He wouldn't hurt her, he wouldn't.

When the kiss ended, the demon lord's lips landed along her chin, and soon traced a path down her jawline- tasting her flesh. He could feel her small frame tremble underneath his touch- her grip around him becoming weak. He bit onto the shell of her ear, his lithe tongue moving along the rim before he suckled on the lobe.

An abrupt moan left Kagome's lips as her ear was bitten. Sesshomau's tongue sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. She wasn't in control of herself.

She knew that she should have stopped…that she shouldn't have been doing something like this with Sesshomaru so soon…but she didn't care.

She wanted this.

Sesshomaru bit wherever his mouth could reach, down to the junction of her shoulder where his fangs raked across her flesh. His tongue flickered back and forth over the place of her pulse at the base of throat- doing so until it violently throbbed.

"S-Sesshomaru…" She breathed his name- her voice wavering. Her eyes closed tightly, and she found herself gripping onto his kimono securely.

She was begging him to continue. His hands guided underneath the tail of the girl's shirt- feeling her gentle flesh of her sides underneath his palms.

He wanted to see her, all of her.

Soft groans poured from the girl's lips, her entire face becoming hotter than she ever imagined it could. She began to tremble again once Sesshomaru's hands gripped her sides- rising higher until her shirt was removed.

The air of the night touched her flesh, and her blush remained prominent. Whenever Sesshomaru's unwavering gaze caressed her skin, she found the familiar pink color filling her cheeks- that and the fact that he was undressing her.

Inuyasha had on occasion popped in on her changing or bathing…but nothing ever like this. Her hands guided on their own as she worked to remove her bra, her hands shaking all the while. She instinctively did the same with her skirt and panties- lowering down her long, lithe, legs.

It wasn't long until she was bare before him, her eyes glossy with nervousness, her breathing harsh from anticipation, her cheeks threatening to spill over with red again.

Kami, she was beautiful to him- far beautiful that any demoness by far- and she was innocent- her purity only his to claim.

Kagome was uncertain of love.

She loved her friends and family, and she knew what it meant to care for someone- how she cared for Inuyasha…yet this was a different feeling- far deeper than what she had come to know.

When Sesshomaru's hand caressed her flesh- that was love.

When his tongue caused her body to tremble and shake violently- eliciting screams and soft moans as he pleased her- that was love.

How he undressed himself and grinded his thick manhood deep between her thighs- driving both of their bodies into the passionate embrace of sex- that was love.

She couldn't go back to the life she had before him.

She refused to.

When she woke up the next morning, she was still wrapped in his arms- pressed protectively against his chest. Her arm's aching was only a dull throbbing now, meaning the wound wasn't as bad as it looked But, she did notice by the way he was breathing that Sesshomaru was asleep.

She felt a smile tug at her lips and she nuzzled him.

Sesshomaru was never one to sleep, she discovered that with their time spent together. He must've really felt at peace if he allowed himself to drift off.

Leaning up, Kagome gnawed onto her lower lip before pressing a kiss to his own lips, breaking it once his eyes opened.

His expression was calm- lazy almost before his usual mask slipped into place. His palms lowered from her sides, and down her back until he grabbed her lush bottom.

By doing that, he reminded her that she was naked. Kagome immediately squeaked, sitting up from him, "Sesshomaru!"

She scowled, though he tugged her back down, a soft growl leaving his throat as he nuzzled his nose against her shoulder, "Be silent…"

It tickled almost. She found herself grinning, planting her palms on his shoulders as she tried to pull away, "No!"

The demon lord's brow lethargically elevated as he stared into her doll-shaped eyes , "…Are you well…?"

"...My arm only hurts a little, and my headache is gone..." Propping her elbows onto his chest, Kagome's fingers began to tread the silken, silvery strands of his hair. She loved the lethargic expression that overcame his features as her fingertips tread over his scalp.

"…Sesshomaru?" She whispered his name, breaking his trance like state.

He didn't respond, but he didn't have to. She knew he was listening.

"…You won't ever forget me, will you?" It was an honest question. Demons lived far longer than humans. Kagome's lifespan was a mere a day compared to Sesshomaru's. Surely, he had several memories, and would also develop relationships with women. She was sure that whenever their paradise ended, he'd move on without a single thought. Still, it didn't hurt to ask.

Rin asked him a similar question, he recalled. Mortals understood just how little time they had on the land. He remained silent, simply observing her worried face, "I suppose I should ask you the same. Kagome, will you ever forget me?"

She was taken back by the question, "…How can you ask anything like that?! Of course I won't ever forget you…not ever…"

"Then why do you need to ask me such a question?"

…He had a point. She trusted him, and she felt that he felt the same way about her that she did about him…He wouldn't ever forget her. Kagome bit onto her lower lip before nodding. She leaned down, resting her head on his chest with a soft sigh, "I've never spent time with anyone like this….I've never slept with anyone…except you." She felt a blush touch her cheeks, and Sesshomaru felt the heat on his chest.

"…I figured as such, yet those sounds you were making confirmed it…" He could feel the girl's cheeks heat further against him.

Just as he expected, Kagome snorted softly, the blush remaining. She lifted up again to view him, "Watch it, Mr…" She poked him gently, but she soon looked mortified, "I left my backpack!"

Her….what? He assumed she meant the overly sized, yellow pouch she wore on her back. Retrieving it meant walking back to the village, facing opposition from Inuyasha again, and maybe even the wolf. He wasn't concerned about fighting them. The battle had been relatively easy. However, he didn't' want Kagome harmed in the crossfire again. If anything, he'd go alone. Or...he could have gotten her new…materials- whatever it was that she previously owned, "..You can simply acquire new things…"

"No! I have to do my homework. My books are in there!" She quickly sat up, moving to collect her clothes, "If I don't, I'm going to fail my midterms!"

"…Midterms?" What…exactly was the girl speaking of? He watched as Kagome rushed to get dressed. It was not long before he had his hakamas back on, his golden eyes remaining focused on her, "…Homework?" Those terms were foreign to him, and more than likely had something to do with her placement 500 years into the future. It was useless for him to attempt to wrap his head around what she was going on about. However, he figured that midterms amounted to some type of assessment. By her worried tone, she wasn't ready for it.

A wind rustled, billowing through their clothes and hair…and then there was a scent- Jaken's scent and Ah Un, yet Rin's was lacking

He didn't like it.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken called, wailing his name as he gripped Ah Un's reigns- guiding the two headed dragon behind him. It wasn't long before the little imp struggled through the shrubbery, revealing his stubby body.

His large, lantern-colored eyes went wide, his beak falling ajar as he spotted the girl.

Kagome glanced up from trying to hook her bra back on before she screamed, quickly hiding herself behind Sesshomaru- her bra straps slipping down her shoulders. "What are you doing here?!"

Noticing his Lord was half-naked, and how the girl was trying to put herself together, Jaken's mind scrambled to try and find a clear answer. This was Inuyasha's wench. What in Kami's name was going on?! What…had happened?! "M-M-M-Milord…w-what is she d-doing h-here?!"

"Where is Rin?" Sesshomaru's brows narrowed as he studied the imp- though he didn't approach him.

Jaken knew well to answer him. "R-Rin? O-oh! Y-Yes right…Rin! W-well…Uh…"

Kagome's brows knitted, and she peeked out from behind Sesshomaru's broad form, "…Did something happen to Rin?"

"K-Kagura came…and kidnapped her." Jaken's voice remained wavering the entire time, but Sesshomaru heard the words clearly.

"…Naraku." He muttered.

Xx

"She left her things…." Inuyasha murmured, his ears setting low as he slung Kagome's yellow backpack over his shoulder, "I…I have to take them to her…"

"Inuyasha….you don't plan on causing her trouble, do you?" Sango asked, gnawing onto her lower lip. They were all aware of how guilty Inuyasha felt. When he recovered from Sesshomaru's attack, he did not bother pursuing him or Kagome. He felt too disgusted with himself to.

The half-demon slowly shook his head, his molten colored eyes adverting from Sango's gaze, "No…" He was letting her go. In greed and envy- he hurt her- someone that meant the most to him. It wasn't fair to hold Kagome back, not now, though his feelings towards his brother had not changed.

Sesshomaru protected Kagome well- protected her better than he ever could. He didn't let any harm come to her. He hated the bastard, he did but…he had no right to deny Kagome any decision she made, not after what happened.

Not after he hurt her.

He could still smell her blood in on his claws.

It made him sick.

His stomach twisted in a knot and he swallowed a lump developing in his throat.

How could he?

Why didn't he simply listen to her?

Why didn't he just butt out and let her have what she wanted?

By the solemn tone in his voice, Sango could tell that he was speaking the truth. The demon slayer simply nodded, a weak smile touching her lips, "…How about we go with you?"

"No." He readily said, soon frowning, "…I need you and Miroku to hang back here and watch Kikyo for me…I can do this alone…"

"…Alright Inuyasha...Just be careful." Sango muttered, watching as he took off- headed towards the direction that Kagome and Sesshomaru went the day befor


	12. Chapter 12

"Come on, I'm sure Rin is waiting for us!" Kagome quickly adjusted the bow in her grasp before rushing back to Sesshomaru's side. Strangely, he didn't seem too interested in moving. She blinked a few times as those unwavering orbs simply burned into her. She frowned as she awkwardly folded her arms behind her back, "…What is it?" Had she done something wrong?

"You are not going." He murmured, his voice possessing the usual smooth timbre that Kagome had come to know. He easily slid Tokijin into the obi connected to his armor before he began to pace passed her, not sparing her another glance.

When he spoke, her eyes grew as large as saucers. She felt a soft tremor pass through her frame as her brows furrowed in disbelief.

This was very much so her business as it was his, and Kagome wasn't going to allow Sesshomaru to cast her aside, not this time, not when Rin needed all of the help she could get. "You can't just leave me here! I want to help save Rin!" She immediately began to chase after him, slinging her quiver over her shoulder. For some reason, she felt panic grip her. What was Sesshomaru doing trying to leave her behind? Inuyasha had once done such a thing when he forced her down the Bone-Eaters Well without her Jewel Shards. Was Sesshomaru trying to leave her behind forever, and if not, would things always be like this? When he entered battle, would he always…leave her behind?

"You will only be in my way." It was the truth, no matter how harsh it was. He was confident that he could retrieve Rin easily, yet there was no need in dragging another mortal into danger. He simply could not protect Kagome and Rin both while dealing with Naraku. It was simply best if she remained behind with Jaken. He did not expect her to understand, but he wasn't going to argue about it. He made his decision, and unlike the half-breed, he was not going to give into her. He paused in his steps, taking a look at her over his shoulder.

"I will not be in the way! I fight Naraku with my friends all the time. I just want to help save Rin. You're going to need me. I can sense the Jewel Shards, remember?" She quickly moved in front of him as if blocking his path.

"You are being foolish. Naraku would not take Rin and not reveal himself to me without intent to bait me. He wants me to pursue him, and I am certain that he wants me to bring you along as well. However, I refuse to play his game…" Those molten colored orbs steadily observed Kagome's features, burning into her very being. She meant far more to him that she understood, and he was not going to allow Naraku to lay a single finger on her.

"I can take care of myself. Don't you trust me?" She asked, soon biting her lower lip. She could feel her confidence seeping away. Sure, she wasn't Kikyo when it came to archery, but she managed to bring down several enemies that underestimated her- Naraku included, though he escaped.

"No." He admitted and Kagome's face faltered. She needed to know the truth, and she needed to understand her place, "You….are but a mere mortal. Your life can be easily taken-"

"…What do you mean you don't trust me?" She cut him off, "I've more than proven myself to you! You can't seem to get over this ridiculous human and demon thing! We may not be equals in power, but we are equals none the less, Sesshomaru! Why can't you see that?!" She released a long sigh as she turned away from him, passing a hand through the strands of her hair, "We shouldn't even be arguing. I thought we were passed all of this…I thought you trusted me."

"Milord, shouldn't we be going?!" The forgotten imp spoke, his large yellow eyes focused on his master's form.

He didn't have time to debate this with her. He was going to save Rin and cut down Naraku, and he planned to do so alone. Kagome did not understand, and he doubted she'd ever understand. She often times meddled in the affairs of demons, and she was going to pay the ultimate price for it…one day. Preventative measures had to be taken. A fight between demons was no place for a human woman and Kagome had yet to see that. "Jaken, remain here with her…" He commanded, hardened ashen eyes casting down on the imp. Sesshomaru could see the shudder that passed through the imp's frame.

"Master, wait!" Jaken squawked, though Sesshomaru wasted no time in stepping on him as he proceeded away. He twitched, a low groan leaving his beak. When in the nine did their lives get so complicated? One human female was enough, and now two?

She had to go with him to save Rin. Things wouldn't sit easy with her if she didn't...but how? She couldn't just wander aimlessly about in an attempt to find him. "Sesshomaru…" She took a glance at him over her shoulder. He was already heading off. It was stupid to think she could get him to change his views about humans simply because she was in love with him.

She felt her cheeks burn red.

How was all of this supposed to work if Sesshomaru did not see her as an equal? He didn't have in faith in her, that was for certain now. At least Inuyasha trusted her enough to bring her into fights. Sure, she wasn't Sango with extensive training, and she didn't have a wind tunnel, but she was still useful.

If she was Kikyo, he wouldn't have wasted time in taking her into battle. Kagome quickly shook her head.

Sesshomaru did say that she was just a mere mortal, but was he alluding to her being useless…or was he trying to protect her? Perhaps his words had some truth. If he was worried about her while fighting Naraku, he wouldn't be able to fight him the way he wanted to. He was already in a bind with Rin being captured, and with her along, she wouldn't have made things better, no matter how hard she fought.

Kagome felt…selfish, all of a sudden, and her stomach tightened. Why didn't she just listen to him in the first place? She watched as his pace carried him farther and father, and soon, he had vanished behind the tree line. She prayed to Kami that he would be okay...and that he would be able to save Rin.

Slowly, she sunk down to her knees.

Xx

"Kagura!" Inuyasha snarled, a glare hardening in his amber orbs as he skidded to a stop. He only got as far as the village's outskirts before he noticed her. "What the hell are you doing around here?" If Kagura was around, there was really no telling where Naraku was. She wasn't too big on loyalty, and only did his bidding to save her life. "You don't really have an affinity for anything Naraku related, last I checked." He spat. But, she wasn't alone. On the large, white feather that she chose to ride, another woman sat.

She was…strikingly beautiful with long strands of albino hair. A navy kimono was wrapped about her thin frame, yet she remained silent…appearing more so menacing than Kagura. He knew her, he swore it but how…what was his connection to her?

Still, he wasn't sure what card the wind sorceress was going to play. She didn't seem to be up for a fight. She had yet to open her fan. His hand moved to Tetsusaiga's hilt. Sango and Miroku wouldn't be far behind him once they sensed her, he knew, and he wasn't going to allow the wind sorceress near the village.

He couldn't risk losing Kikyo, not again to Naraku.

"I should ask you the same. Shouldn't you be inside, with the priestess?" Her red lips drew into a smirk as she watched the color drain from Inuyasha's face. "Oh yes, I do know about Kikyo…as does Naraku." She spoke his name blandly, the words muttered, "But I didn't come here to have fun with you. I'm bringing you a gift, something I'm sure you'll like to have later…Catch." In one hand, she grabbed Rin's green obi and merely tossed her unconscious form towards him.

"Rin?!" He leapt, catching the small bundle in his arms before landing. He lowered to his knees, cupping Rin's cheek briefly as his brows knitted. She didn't…seem dead, yet what was going on? Where was Sesshomaru, and why wasn't she with him? "Kagura!" He called, yet a harsh wind billowed, blocking his view of her. The two were already leaving, her feather flying higher and higher.

What the hell had Naraku done?

"Inuyasha?!" Sango called, her Hiraikotsu strapped around her frame as she pressed her way towards him, "That was Kagura, wasn't it?" Her large, brown eyes caught sight of Rin, and she was forced to freeze in place, "Is she…?" If Rin was dead, and she was in their care, Sesshomaru wouldn't be pleased. He'd kill them- all of them, the demon slayer was sure, despite Kagome.

"Kagura and someone else- a priestess by the looks of it…And no, she's not dead. She's still breathing, and she's okay as far as I can see." He nodded slowly, watching as Sango released a breath she didn't know she had been holding, "But, I don't understand. Why give us..Rin?"

"Naraku is up to something…" Miroku responded, pacing his way near them, "…I saw the other woman. She is a priestess by the way she is dressed. Have you seen her before Inuyasha?"

"Now that you mention it, she looked familiar, yet that was…years back when Kikyo and I were…you know." He swallowed a lump in his throat, "But that was fifty years ago. She'd be half-way in her grave by now…Besides, that woman with Kagura was no ordinary mortal…"

"Come on, we should get her to Kaede's hut so that she can rest." Sango suggested, her arms drawing across her chest. "…And shouldn't we go look for Sesshomaru?" She wearily asked. She didn't like the idea any more than they did, but Rin was his ward, after all.

"Heh, no. He'll find her, don't worry. As soon as her scent hits the wind, he'll be coming…I just want to figure out what the hell is going on…" What was Naraku doing? "If Naraku is plotting against Sesshomaru, then that's no place for Kagome to be..."

Xx

He despised the thought of leaving her. Though it was logically the right thing to do, the look of heart break on her face haunted him. Kagome needed to be reminded that she was indeed a human- far lesser in class than he was. He didn't make it a habit of saying things that he usually regretted…yet with Kagome, things were always different.

He did trust her, but he didn't trust her enough to take her into battle with him. He had seen her skills in archery first hand, and as he had mentioned before, she was mediocre at best. He couldn't risk losing both Kagome and Rin to the Spider. He planned to end it all with the half-breed bastard that night. He'd make him bend to his will- one way or another before giving him the sweet release of death that he'd seek.

The blue orb of light began to mold into his silhouette- the light becoming brighter before it died abruptly, revealing his true form. The moon was high at the center of the sky, its pale light focused on the plain of grass before him. Previously, Naraku hid his castle behind a mirage, yet Sesshomaru could not sense anything near.

His scent had abruptly vanished

There weren't even traces of it in the wind…nor the hint of miasma.

He didn't like it.

Those piercing eyes settled on the clouds that lethargically drifted by, and a wind blew, billowing his strands of silver hair alongside the fabric of his kimono. The night was still, deathly still, and he could only feel the aura of weak demons.

Naraku was gone again, perhaps into hiding, but it was unlike him.

He prepared grand schemes which tended to be elaborate. He wanted to see the sight of fear and hopelessness on his opponent's features before he killed them. He was theatrical in his ways, and something such as this was simply out of character for the half-breed…

And it all came to him at once. He felt as though he had been impaled with a blade through his chest.

"Naraku, he thinks he's so cunning…" He murmured, his voice passive.

His intent was not to lead him towards Rin.

No, he had tried that before, and it failed.

He wanted to lead him away from something…

Someone rather…

It all made sense…No matter how quickly he traveled, whatever Naraku was up to was already coming into fruition. He could not reach her in time…and something swelled within him…something foreign. He rarely experienced it…but it was…helplessness.

Leaving her behind was a stupid and careless mistake.

He was so set on protecting her and keeping her out of harm's way that he involuntarily handed her over on a silver platter…

"Kagome…" He murmured her name passively, his voice betraying the current despair he felt.

Urgency gripped him. He couldn't reach her in time, he knew well…It was illogical to rush off in an attempt to save her…he couldn't make it, not in time at least, but he had to try.

He was…torn. His father must have felt the same when he rushed to his human mate's aid when she was giving birth to his half-breed younger brother. He remembered how helpless his father looked when he revealed his true form and set off to save her- how he could hear his heart beat hammering behind his rib cage when he did so.

It was the first time he saw fear trace its way across his father's features…raw fear.

The same was occurring to him.

Naraku…he would pay for this…he would feel the poison of his claws.

Xx

She screamed.

The sound was heart wrenching as it shattered the peacefulness of the night.

One moment, Kagura and another woman were above them, and the next, a sharp pain traced up her throat. Sounds around her became faint, foreign even, as though she was submerged under water. She felt herself falling, physically and mentally- and the only thing she could hear was the slowing pace of her heart beat which was louder than anything. She couldn't think. Her vision grew heavily fogged and bleary and before she knew it, she was on her back, gazing up at the blackened sky. Something slithered around her form, a serpent of some kind…white in color, and its head slithered over her own before it left her being.

And then…all of her senses came back at one, ramming into her and causing a headache to explode over her temples. The burning in her chest reminded her that she had stopped breathing, and she inhaled a deep gulp of air, her back arching as she did so. She tried desperately to catch her breath as fear consumed her.

She had been bitten by that snake…and poisoned…she could feel it. She felt nauseous, yet she had to try and focus.

Kagura gripped her fan and swiped it to her right. A harsh breeze came and swept Jaken away from her. He screamed, though Kagome couldn't make out what was said. She tried to get up, but she couldn't…she couldn't.

The long serpent diminished- melting into a pool of ash at Tsubaki's command. Slowly, she swept her way towards Kagome, hands tucking into her kimono sleeve as she gazed down at her, "…This is Kikyo's reincarnation, hm? Same face, half the power…I should have known…"

"Sesshomaru is quick…quicker than you think…I bet he's headed this way now…we should leave…" Kagura murmured, peeking over the dark priestess' shoulder, "Come on…"

"…Don't you want to savor this moment?" The white-haired woman asked, her brow quirking, "..When Naraku obtains this... Sesshomaru's body...he'll triple his power-"

"Listen, what Naraku does is none of my concern. Let's just get out of here…Neither you or I will be savoring anything if Sesshomaru catches us here…" Her large, ruby colored eyes flickered about, "..Naraku is watching anyway. The saimyosho are coming…"

Tsubaki rolled her eyes as a sulk adorned her lips, "Very well…" She murmured, turning around as she followed Kagura.

"S-Sesshomaru…" She murmured his name as Kagura and Tsubaki's blurred frame left her presence.

She was afraid..too frightened at the moment. She was going to die..she was certain of it, "..S-Sesshomaru..Sango...I-Inuyasha...-p-please..anybody...help me.."

Xx

The scent of death was heavy within the air. He could not help but feel a pang of hopelessness work its way inside of his being, festering and ravenous—gnawing away at the crevices of his soul.

It was ironic, truly, how he once mocked his father for rushing to a mortal's aid those decades before when he was foolishly doing the same.

He remembered the determined look etched into his father's eyes...and fear. It was thick in the air that night. His father thought the human Izayaoi and their unborn pup to be dead. He thought them both to be outside of Tenseiga's reach.

Even Sesshomaru doubted that his father would make it in time. The scent of fire and ash could be smelled for miles, and he was was certain that his father's mate had been burned alive…yet he managed to make it, just in time.

He hoped to do the same, but this night, the fates were against him. His blue orb of light began to flicker violently before it morphed into his form, just outside of their campsite.

This was none other than Naraku's doing. Only his evil could manage a plot so noxious. Despite him being the architecture however, this was still different, something far more personal and viler. Upon sighting her, limp and languid with her breaths shallow, for the first time in his life, Sesshomaru nearly trembled in raw and uninhibited fear.

Before all of this, the scent of her blood on his claws would not have bothered him. By Kami, he'd tried to kill her twice already.

If anything, he would have relished in the sight of her death since it meant getting underneath Inuyasha's skin. However, those days were no more. Pale, ashen eyes drifted over her body that was now limp in his arms, her own frame weakly and instinctively curling into the protectiveness of his arms

She was dying, her consciousness very absent of her surroundings and his presence.

He couldn't deny that he wished to see her lids open, revealing the gaze that he had come to adore. He wished to see her smile. He wished to see her pout. He wanted to hear her yell at him. He wanted it all, he wanted her. He yearned for her.

But…

That was the true conundrum.

Naraku, knowing of his attachment to Kagome, figured that he'd found his weakness. The lowly half-demon always thought that he was cunning. This time however, in a skewed sense, the bastard might have done him a favor…

All logic and reason pointed to leaving Kagome dead.

She was a hindrance, one that he did not need.

She was his weakness.

If she was dead, no one would be able to control him. He and Inuyasha would be mortal enemies again, and he could continue on his quest for Tetsusaiga.

Leaving her in death's embrace would right all of this.

Their relationship, dare say, his love for her, would be his undoing. Love was his father's undoing. Had it not been for the mortal woman Izayaoi, his father would have been alive. His bastard brother would never have been born, and Kagome would have never made her way to their realm.

This would set things as they should have been.

He was a cold, merciless demon, bred in war, and he only followed the truth path of supremacy.

That didn't involve Kagome….

And yet as the life faded from her body, Sesshomaru's logic all ceased to exist. Rationale and reason were forsaken, both replaced by the irresistible urge to save her.

Kagome was his now, his to protect.

Nothing was supposed to come between them, and no one, Inuyasha, Naraku, or even death, would separate them.

Sesshomaru would never allow it.


	13. Chapter 13

If she was to die, she would be beyond his grasp, yet never Tenseiga's. However, to allow her to suffer as such without remedy was utter barbarism. In his care, she would never again be exposed to such pain, he swore that to himself.

The only people that he knew of that could help her were her friends, especially the woman that bound Inuyasha to a tree those fifty years prior. Whatever it is that Kagome succumbed to, only mortals would be able to help her.

If she slipped into death's embrace, then his power would be her only salvation. Such an understanding should have been comforting, and yet he refused to allow her to cross over to the other side.

Surprisingly, Inuyasha nor his group's scent was prevalent as he landed within the village near the Bone Eater's Well. No doubt his presence would stir up the mortals engaging in their mundane lives, and as anticipated, they began to scramble—calling for their guards and their head priestess.

…An old woman whom came hobbling forth, and fortunately for Sesshomaru, she immediately recognized Kagome and ushered for him to bring her inside.

It was all a matter of waiting, Kaede said. After the remedy was administered, they could only wait to see the effects.

All the while, it allowed Sesshomaru to be alone with his thoughts as he gazed down at the listless girl on the futon before him. Against the small flame dancing in the small hut, Kagome appeared to be no more than sleeping—not at the brink of death that he and Kaede feared her to be.

He could not have her and conquest.

He walked a path that did not involve Kagome.

His eyes caught hold of her form once more, sprawled out limply, her eyes shut…

He recalled her touch, her scent, her voice...

The way she moved…the way she smiled…

…But not even conquest ruled him. It guided him, yet it did not govern him.

He could have…as he desired, and he wanted her.

He wanted Kagome and he indulged her….he even seemed to love her, a strange trait he received from his great and terrible father. A mortal's life hung in the balance, and with baited breath, he waited for her to breathe her last…

And yet during the night, such never came. If anything she became more restless—a positive sign or so Kaede suggested. It did not mean that Sesshomaru would be any less alarmed by her tossing and turning as if she was in agony.

In the old woman's opinion, she would be fine, and though Sesshomaru was relieved, the stoic mask of his face remained. He neither nodded nor confirmed that he heard her in fact. He only exited the hut to collect Rin and Jaken. Kagome would have to remain in the village to receive the optimum care available and to recuperate fully.

Naraku….

His scent had been in the wind, and currently it was no more, as if it dissolved into this air. No doubt that was where Inuyasha and the others were, following a path that Naraku wanted Sesshomaru to take.

If anything, he attacked Kagome to rile Sesshomaru into pursuit, nothing more, but Inuyasha proved victorious that night in battle. That was why the bastard was fleeing.

Sesshomaru was grateful for the fact. After this small stunt, Naraku was going to be his prey, and he thought he would be the person to bring his life to a swift end for this grave transgression. In this, he owed his half-brother his gratitude.

Xx

"I hate this." Inuyasha spat while rubbing the back of his neck.

He and Miroku were sitting on the side of Kaede's hut, and the entire village seemed to be alive with the return of Kikyo. Many of the villagers had been bringing gifts constantly, but it still wasn't enough to lift the group's spirits, "The second Kagome runs off to be with Sesshomaru, this happens. Talk about timing and the bastard's failure. This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's incapable of keeping Kagome safe. She's better off with us anyway. We managed to even take down Naraku!"

Taking it up with Kagome or Sesshomaru was not his place though, not anymore.

"I doubt he handed her over on a silver platter Inuyasha, but I agree. It is truly an unfair situation." Miroku nodded his head slowly, "It's been two days now, and Sesshomaru hasn't left Kagome' side. He's not even bothered about YOU nor that he is in a human village." Which was profound considering Sesshomaru always boasted of his dislike for mortals and his disdain for anything involving them. Maybe he was appreciative that they destroyed Naraku. "Before all of this happened, Sango told me that Kagome was thinking about going home for good. At least this way, with Sesshomaru, we still have a chance of seeing her." The monk's gaze shifted over to Inuyasha. Just as he expected, his friend's face was plastered with disbelief.

"…For good?" He repeated before sighing, his shoulders sagging, "Kagome just can't leave for forever….I'll.." ' _Miss her_ ,' He said mentally, "But, Kagome has had enough heartache here…I'm to the point where I just want her to be happy…If going home makes her happy, then it's not my right to stop her…"

"Kikyo has returned and Kagome's heart his elsewhere. She might have moved on, Inuyasha." Miroku chimed in, "Have you talked to her about it?"

"Of course I have!" Inuyasha snorted, "…I just don't know what to do about it all. I'm stuck in the middle!"

"You've always been stuck in the middle. We both know that Kagome likes being with Sesshomaru. He makes her truly happy." Miroku's gaze drifted upwards to the sky, "He's really…important to her."

"Yeah, well she's important to us too…I'm heading out. I should be back later…" And like that, the half-demon was off, leaving Miroku with a weak smile. No doubt he was going to make sure that Naraku was truly dead. The absence of the monk's wound tunnel was not proof enough.

Xx

"You're looking better today." Sango's hand reached out until her palm touched her friend's forehead, "…And you're not burning up. That remedy is working well for you." She asked, settling back on her side of the fire, her legs pulled up against her chest.

It felt good not to have Sesshomaru of all people hovering over them, watching all their movements like a hawk. His obvious concern was another thing. Kagome must've really made an impression to capture Sesshomaru's attention. "Maybe when you're a little stronger, you should head home. Your medicines do seem to be stronger than ours."

"…I have been feeling better." Kagome nodded her head slowly, "I haven't been able to keep anything down though."

And maybe Sango was right…maybe it was best to go home a few days…just for a few days. It was about time she spent time with her family anyway. She could rest easily on the other side and Sesshomaru would be free of the burden of watching over her. She smiled weakly, her gaze lowering to the ground, "Yeah, I guess I should visit home for a few more days…I just don't want to leave Sesshomaru alone."

"Don't worry about it. He's been diligently seeking out remedies Kaede say will help you." Sango nodded slowly, her brows knitting, "Something's bound to come up. Just take care of yourself, Kagome. I'm really worried about you."

Xx

"Lady Kikyo, can you come play with us?"

She missed playing with the village children. They were so very innocent and oblivious to the pain of the world around them. It was refreshing. Her gaze settled over the small group of children that gathered, and she couldn't help smiling. However, in the distance, she spotted a particular girl, a girl sitting alone.

It was the same girl that arrived in the village with Sesshomaru, the human child Rin.

"Perhaps later, hm?" Kikyo suggested, brushing the back of her index finger over one of their cheeks. They all nodded before heading off- intent on making the priestess keep her promise that evening.

Slowly, Kikyo approached Rin, her lips pursed. "…Why do you not play with the other children?"

"I don't want to play with them." Rin responded softly with an exaggerated frown.

"…What child doesn't enjoy playing?" She asked, easing her way into a sitting position next to the sulking girl.

"I just want to leave with Lord Sesshomaru…but he hasn't come back yet." She whispered, setting her chin on her knees as she hugged her legs.

Kikyo doubted Rin had even seen the Daiyoukai since he arrived in the village. He came and went as the wind, and when he did stay, he was inside Kaede's hut to be with Kagome. "I see…Do you miss him?"

At those words, Rin smiled, nodding, "I do! He's really kind to me…My family was murdered by bandits…he took me in. He protects me and makes sure I'm alright!"

Kikyo's brows furrowed. "…Why does he do those things?"

Rin blinked in confusion before her brows furrowed the same. Abruptly though, she shrugged, managing a smile, "I told you before! He's really kind!

It was hard to believe, but Rin wouldn't lie. She had no reason to. Perhaps Kagome was infatuated with this…rare kind side of Sesshomaru that existed- a side no one else had seen, only Rin…and Kagome. Inuyasha surely did not understand her infatuation with his brother.

Xx

Making sure Naraku was dead. Sightings of Kagura renewed resolve in the fact that perhaps the half-breed wasn't completely dead. No doubt the process would exponentially increase in productivity if they all worked together, but with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both spearheading their own searches separately, the odds of effective team work were rapidly dwindling.

Not even Kami himself could get those two to work together.

As far as the mortals around them were concerned, if the two did not team up, Naraku would slip between both their grasps, again How exactly would they convey that to a hot headed Inuyasha and his be-all-end-all brother though?

Precisely, they could not, and as the days passed by, Kagome became mobile, stronger, healthier, and her want to search with Sesshomaru was ever present.

She was not used to taking a back seat or sitting on the sidelines. Sesshomaru differed greatly from Inuyasha in that area, and he'd yet to learn his lesson. Leaving her behind was not in her best interest, even if she was his brother and her friends.

Trying to get that through his skull was beyond her. He was still not convinced of her usefulness in combat. To him, she'd only be in the way. Call it his demon pride or whatever, but it was starting to get on her nerves. Not only did he leave her behind, he just up and did it! He'd leave when she drifted off, or when Kaede and Sango were helping her to the river to the bathe!

He had no interest, whatsoever, in letting her hunt for Naraku when she was the victim in all of this! She sought justice too, but both brothers were too thickheaded to seem to notice.

One early morning when Sesshomaru returned to the village, he would find her peacefully sleeping, or it seemed. Exiting the hut as promptly as he came, he was honestly taken by surprise when a fully dressed Kagome came darting out, bow and arrow in hand.

So, she'd hidden that all underneath her blanket and had been merely waiting for him to arrive. No matter, he knew what this was going to be about. He felt it stewing within her over the last few days.

"Sesshomaru! You have some nerve just leaving me here to search on your own!"

But the argument was dispelled as Sesshomaru began to glide upwards as he flew. Not only did he refuse to see reason, but he was not even going to waste time talking about it!

"You can be such an idiot sometimes!" Kagome screamed at his drifting form, soon huffing loudly as her hands balled into fists at her sides.

Had she been close enough to him, she might've notice the brief and barely there smirk that crossed his maw. Only Kagome would dare speak to him as such. The girl was brave, brave to a foolish extent. She had gall and nerve, and perhaps that was what sparked his attraction to her in the first place.

Despite that, this was a matter concerning demons, even if a human was the victim. She would stay behind until it was resolved, and then and only then would she be allowed to travel with him.

Naraku crossed a well-drawn line in the sand, and Sesshomaru's very pride was at stake. He would not rest until this problem was completely solved sine Inuyasha and hsi team were completely incapable, or so he thought.

But something else was brewing, a realization that Kaede discovered when an unmistakable, but faint demonic aura began to emanate from Kagome as the days carried on.

This time, when Kagome tried to ambush Sesshomaru when he arrived to check on her, she was seized by Kaede. "Ye must not follow him!" The old woman screamed, "Ye are in no condition to get in the way!"

Kagome's brows furrowed as she gazed at the older miko, "Kaede, let go! I have to go after him." She paused then before she blinked slowly, "What do you mean by...my condition?"

A look of incredulity crossed the old miko's features, "..Surely you've felt it by now..."

"..Felt…what?" Kagome continued on, her brow slowly lifting. She had been feeling a little…weak over the past few days, but she blamed it all on simply stress and worry—maybe the after effects of being poised. She thought that she simply needed to go home and rest a couple of days when this was all over, right? "Kaede, what are you talking about?”


	14. Chapter 14

"…Carrying his…p-pup?" She couldn't breathe. Her lips quivered as she attempted to speak. She couldn't find her voice. She felt light headed, all of a sudden. She swayed in place before leaning against one of the hut's walls. She swallowed a lump in her throat, her eyes remaining as large as saucers.

Sesshomaru's child.

She was carrying…Sesshomaru's child.

Pregnant.

She was pregnant.

Kaede rushed to her side, attempting to help her into a standing position, yet Kagome sat motionless. It was almost as if she was submerged under water. The sounds around her became faint, and time seemed to slow down. Abruptly, everything came back to her, and she scrambled up to stand, "I've got to tell him!"

"Kagome! Wait!" The old woman called, yet the girl was already running outside of the hut.

One thing would halt Sesshomaru and draw him back—either the smell of blood or her tears, and Kagome knew of the former, not the latter. She would soon find out however.

As he landed before her, assumingly appearing from thin air, the reason of her distress became clear. He was so busy, so consumed in the hunt that he failed to realize the miraculous.

It was if the world around them vanished, and nothing else existed. He could only hear the soft sobs that racked her slender frame. She was gazing at him, those azure orbs searching for acceptance…hope…love, something…anything.

Her streaming tears seemed endless.

She afraid, so very afraid. The scent of her fear was raw and heavy in the air. Sesshomaru could taste it.

She was going to give birth to his seed…his heir.

His brows furrowed, a bemused look crossing his usually stoic features as she ran into his arms.

Kagome was trembling now, her nails digging into his back as she became desperate.

Despite the incredulity he felt, he knew well that Kagome needed him…His mate needed him.

She was clinging to him, at the brink of breaking down. She wanted to be loved. She needed it. She needed him.

His thumb brushed over her cheek, and his head lowered- meeting her own in a lingering kiss- one that gave him a taste of her lips.

He was addicted to that taste.

Once the first kiss was broken, their lips connected once more- his tongue delving deep into that sweet cavern in an effort to calm her. He brought her tighter against his chest until she stood on her toes- the kiss enduring until her lips became kiss bruised.

Her fingers tangled in the mane of his silver hair, and she only broke the kiss when she felt as though her lungs would explode from the need for air.

His mouth claimed her own again- this tongue gently suckling her lower lip. He gently nuzzled his nose against her jaw, before pressing a last, lingering kiss to her forehead.

Where would they go from there?

Xx

Kaede suggested that it was best that Sesshomaru and Kagome remain in her hut for the night alone, while Inuyasha and the others occupied Kikyo's.

It was for the best. The two merely needed time alone to discuss the new development in their lives.

Kagome was wrapped in a blanket, settled between Sesshomaru's legs. Her arms were wrapped around him with her ear pressed against his chest. She wanted to hear the soft, rhythmic sound of his heart beating, just to assure her that he was there…that this was all real…and that he'd never leave her side.

Since then, he put on his haori, but he never attempted to close it. He knew well that Kagome wished to be near him. His fingers gently guided through the dark tresses of her hair, attempting to sooth her. All night, she'd been doing nothing but crying, but it didn't baffle him.

He knew of why she was so distraught.

"…You won't leave us…will you?" Kagome asked, her voice faint. So far, the only sound between them was the soft flicker of the fire at the center of the hut. They hadn't spoken much at all since she announced the news to him.

Leaving them behind. He supposed that it was indeed worth asking. She was a mere mortal…and their child would be a half-demon. He'd outlive her by centuries…and a half-breed would be a blight on his pure blood. IF he stuck true to his path of supreme conquest, he would. Instincts told him to sever the girl's head from her body. Instincts told him to leave all of this behind and pursue Tetsusaiga.

And yet, he couldn't truly bring himself to depart from her side.

He guided his hands down to her cheeks, cupping her face as he forced her to look at him. As he expected, her face was still tear streaked.

She knew well of his hate for half-breeds, and she knew he never wanted a mortal mate.

She knew that he never meant for any of this to truly happen.

Sesshomaru remained silent, unmoving even, those molten-colored eyes simply focused on the girl's face. She longed for acceptance…longed to be loved by him.

Kagome's eyes grew heavily lidded as the demon lord's lips pressed against her own- bathing her mouth in the same affection that made her body shudder.

His sensual tongue wrapped around her own- caressing the insides of her sweet cavern until her mouth was claimed as his own. Her lips easily became swollen and darker in color from the hungry sucks of his mouth. She responded to the kiss, timidly at first, her tongue curious as it embraced the feeling of their mouths dancing in the same supple, but sweet bond. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest steadily, and her arms drew up- moving along his broad shoulders as her arms wrapped around his neck.

He was shrouded in her scent- adoring the sweet smell of lilac and lavender, and it fuelled his lust further. The moment he broke the kiss, the mortal girl was nearly limp in his arms, dazed azure eyes staring lustfully into his own. His fingers found the black silk that was her hair as he tugged her head back, guiding his lithe tongue along her throat- lapping and sucking with the same kisses that bruised her mouth.

Her lips drew apart with a soft gasp as those sharp fangs drug over her skin, forcing her body to stiffen over.

She didn't expect what happened next.

His fangs sunk into her neck, immediately drawing pools of blood. Kagome's body jerked as she screamed, her hands pressing and pushing away from him, though those strong arms held her in place.

His tongue lapped tenderly at the created puncture wounds- a soft growl rising in his throat as he did so.

Kagome could feel fear swell in her belly. Her eyes widened, nearly vibrating out of their sockets. The two twin puncture wounds throbbed relentlessly. She attempted to speak, but one of his large, clawed hand ran up her thigh- hiking up her skirt.

Before she knew it, her back was pressed against the floor, and her legs were lewdly spread. She could feel his arousal against the moist fabric of her panties, hard and thick as he swelled with his want for her.

Her wavering eyes elevated to view his face and his claws were already making quick work of her bra, skirt, panties, and shirt- tearing them from her form. She gasped loudly, yet his head was already lowering between her thighs, his claws digging into her hips.

She could feel her folds swelling in anticipation, her stomach dipping. She couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

He started to taste her, finding the nub of her clit and sucking on it before pushing her panties asides slightly to reveal her center with a finger. He ravished her womanhood with his tongue, parting away only to suck on that swollen clit which made her body jerk with pleasure. Her hands tangled in his hair, as she attempted to find in and everything to hold on to. .

Her back arched from the floor as she writhed, soft whines and whimpers falling from her mouth as she tried to catch her breath. Her stomach tightened and dipped, and she could feel heat pooling in her stomach.

Those sharp, predatory golden eyes remained focused upon her face. He didn't want to miss any of the erotic expressions that crossed his mate's features.

"S-Sesshomaru…" She choked his name out, those fingers curling further in the silver main over his hair as he continued to lap at her swollen clit.

Her entrance quivered. She could feel her impeding climax Her toes curled as her hips continued to rock steadily. His fingers came up- parting her folds and exposing his tongue to her bud. He continued to suck, lick, and nip the sensitive area until Kagome began to moan his name brokenly, and all at once, it hit her. Her body jerked against the ground, a soft moan breaking free from her mouth. Her eyes rolled into the top of her head as she began to writhe and ride out her orgasm.

However, Sesshomaru wasn't satisfied.

His attention would move to her breast. He'd dip down taking a nipple into his mouth sucking at it as if wanting to force something out of those buds.

He left them bright red and bruised with hard flicks of his tongue, doing so until Kagome's delicious moans filled the space between them

He couldn't deny how hard he was for her, and she was wet between her legs; her sweet nectar tainting the inside of her thighs. Her folds aching and swollen at the pure need of his invasion.

His strong arms drew around her then, lifting her and pressing her back against one of the hut's walls. He undid his hakamas and entered her then, quickly, ramming his manhood inside of the tight walls that he adored so.

Her spine arching away from the wall as she cried out. His thrust would drive her hips upwards, bobbing down repeatedly on his manhood.

She sunk her nails into his back as he continued moving in and out of her. She could feel every popped vein of his cock bulge against the inside of her walls. She couldn't move, she couldn't even speak as he invaded her. All she could do was pleasurably endure his thickness moving in and out of her.

Sesshomaru wanted her to feel him completely. He wanted to have her beneath him as he entered her body, striking against the deepest parts of her.

His grasp around her waist tightened as he brought her down to her lap, never once taking his thick length out of her tight heat.

He guided his hips upwards, allowing the girl to bob along his swollen manhood as she rode him.

Her moans gained in pitch just as his movements gained vigor.

She came, at least twice, yet Sesshomaru was not done, not yet. His appetite for her seemed unsated. Kagome was drifting along the lines of consciousness and unconsciousness- yet the sharp jabs delivered to her womanhood reminded her that this was so very real, and Sesshomaru was throwing her body into overdrive.

She was screaming then, her head tilting back as her nails continued to claw at his back. However, his lips claimed hers once more, silencing those screams and moans.

They were only his to hear.

Their breaths were sporadic by then, harsh and broken as they panted.

A deep, lust filled growl emitted low in his chest, and his hot seed began to fill her insides- thick and fast. He continued to thrust into her quaking frame until every drop of his essence emptied into her cavern.

Kagome's eyes rolled back to the top of her head, her spine curling as she accepted every single drop. Her voice erupted in a moan falling into a series of violent tremors until she fell back limply, breathlessly.

He remained inside of her even after his release. He wanted to be sure that she was filled to the brim with him so that she was drowning in his scent. He lowered her back down to the hut's floor, her petite frame nearly shrinking beneath his broad-shouldered, intimidating form. He took her lips without question. They bruised upon contact giving them little rest before he invaded her mouth just as he had invaded her folds.

No, he would never leave or abandon her.


	15. Chapter 15

If Kagome was going to bear his heir, it was best that he found a stable environment for her to live in. More than likely, she'd want to remain in the human village with her friends, though Sesshomaru wasn't particularly interested in keeping her around Inuyasha.

Their child would inherit his legacy, and it was imperative that he grew up around royalty, despite being a half-breed.

Sesshomaru's upper lip curled.

He was sitting on top of the old woman's hut and Kagome was asleep inside. He planned to let her rest there; there was no reason to awaken her simply because he could not sleep. He remembered how afraid she was when she broke the news to him, how she trembled and shed tears. She was terrified, and taking her was the only way he knew how to calm her.

He had never seen her so alarmed.

"…Inuyasha, how long do you intend to hide from me?"

The half-breed's growl was heard as he moved from his position from behind the hut's chimney, "I wasn't hiding, you bastard…" He slowly paced his way towards his older brother, despite the fact that Sesshomaru had yet to turn around to face him, "You know why I'm here…" He wearily took a seat beside him, his arms folded inside of his haori sleeves. He didn't trust Sesshomaru, not enough to sit close to him, but he didn't necessarily have a choice. He didn't want to awaken anyone by yelling.

"Do I?" Sesshomaru asked, never once casting Inuyasha a glance. This close, he could smell the human blood that flowed through Inuyasha's veins. He could smell the mortality tainting his demonic heritage.

It was sickening, though his child would smell the same way.

"You do. The kid." Inuyasha snapped, his ears falling flat against his head, "You and Kagome's kid…" He muttered, "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Are you worried for my sake? I had no idea you had such feelings for me, Inuyasha."

A low, guttural growl sounded in Inuyasha's chest, "Listen, I'll slit you in half! I just want to know what your plan is for taking care of Kagome! She needs you!"

Those primal, golden eyes sharply flickered to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru remained wordless. As if he would explain himself to the likes of his younger brother.

"Fine, have it your way!" He spat, leaping from the roof.

Inuyasha wasn't worth pursuing, not that night, not while Kagome was finally at rest. Not only that, but Sesshomaru had to give him credit. He was only making sure that Kagome was going to be well taken care of, though even Sesshomaru wasn't sure as to how he was going to do so.

Kagome was going to be made a target by all of his enemies. She was mortal, weak to them, easy to kill. The only option he truly had was to send her to his mother's palace in the sky- the same palace his father once resided over. He'd ascend to the throne and establish his own territory. It was the only way to ensure his mate's safety.

Kagome wouldn't be fond of the idea. She wouldn't want to be apart from her family and friends, though it was necessary. She wouldn't like it, but he wasn't going to give her an option.

This had to be done.

Xx

Kagome blinked her bleary eyes in order to clear her vision. The moment she sat up, she was hit by a killer headache that made her lay back down. With a groan, she turned over. She expected to see Sesshomaru beside her, but he wasn't there, and his swords and armor were gone.

He was probably out clearing his head, she figured. Her being pregnant was…heavy news, heavy for the both of them. Their child was going to radically change things between them, and she initially thought that things would change for the worst.

Sesshomaru despised half-breeds as his birthright, and their child was going to be just that. She didn't think he'd want any part of her, or their baby, but…last night, he proceed that she could trust him. He wasn't going to leave them.

A smile touched her lips at the thought of it.

They were going to have a family.

She'd truly belong somewhere now. She'd be at his side, always protected, and he'd watch over her…and she'd always have her friends.

They were going to get a home in the village, she gathered. It was the only proper way to raise the baby. By the way Inuyasha explained his childhood, it was best to raise their pup in an environment around their friends. She or he wouldn't be discriminated against simply because of the mixed blood within them.

She looked forward to it. They'd have to choose a name, she'd have a baby shower, and she'd get to go shopping for baby clothes. She had to tell her family as well about their approaching bundle.

She couldn't wait.

Xx

"It has been sometime since you last visited your mother. I never expected you to wallow with human slaves. I suppose you are just like your father…" Inukimi's red lips slipped into a smirk, but she knew she wouldn't get a rise out of her son.

He was too smart for that.

Kagome's scent was all over him, but he wasn't surprised when she picked up on her smell. She was as sharp as ever, "I've come back to claim what is owed to me…"

Her fine brow slowly arched, "The throne, I take it…but why? Why now after so many centuries. What has changed?"

"The scent you've acquired is not that of a mere human slave." He couldn't stress that enough.

Her brow slowly arched, "…Not a mere human slave?" Her lips pursed before she frowned. "Sesshomaru, I never figured you to be the type…" Just as his father, her son seemed to have an affinity for mortal women. It was indeed a strange quality that she did not particularly understand. He was mated to this mortal, as it seemed, and it was hard to believe that Sesshomaru would mate her willingly.

"The Sky Palace will suit my needs well…" He was raised behind the protection those walls provided. When he was old enough, his father allowed him to participate on his rounds to hone his abilities further. His and Kagome's pup would be no different. Half-breed though he might have been, it was no excuse to not live up to his blood line's reputation.

There, Kagome would be free of Naraku's grasp. He wouldn't be able to reach her, and she'd have all the servants she desired. She'd be tended to always, and at the end of the day, he'd return to her.

"This mortal is extraordinary, I gather…to have caught your attention…" Sesshomaru had never truly been too interested in taking a mate, demon or not. To have captured his eye, this woman must've been different, at least Inukimi thought so. Since he was a pup, her son was always more so interested in conquest than settling down with a family. "With child, I assume…."

"Your point is?"

"How do you expect to keep a half-breed and mortal safe here?"

Their child would be ridiculed, disrespected, and not taken seriously, but that was also the same reason why Sesshomaru wanted to hone the pup's skills. Despite being a half-breed, he or she had to push passed those limitations. They had to be stronger, and Sesshomaru expected his seed to surpass any demon in power.

He'd not have anything less.

"Allow me to worry about that, mother. Simply get the preparations in order…" He cast his gaze upon her a last, lingering time before proceeding down the vast stair system he ascended.

His mother didn't like the idea of having mortals around, he could tell already. Of course, his father left her for a human mate, and he supposed that a bit of bitterness lingered within her. It was expected, since she was a fickle woman by nature.

However, she'd like Kagome, at least a part of him hoped she did.

The last thing he needed was to two women being at each other's throats.

Xx

"Kagome left her books, did she?" Miroku asked, approaching Sango from behind. They were both at the well, gazing into the dark abyss.

"Yeah. She went back home to tell her mother of the…news." Her voice trailed off before she adjusted the books in her arms, "I figured she'd need them. She says that' she'll be done with her schooling in a little while though…"

"I bet she'll be thrilled then. She misses so many days when she's on this side of the well…" Miroku nodded his head, folding his arms across his chest.

"Kagome has gone home?" Sesshomaru's frame easily landed upon one of the well's arms as he peered down at the two mortals.

Sango visibly shrunk back before Miroku stood in front of her. They were still weary of Sesshomaru.

She was happy with him, and that was what truly mattered, but he was a demon- above emotions, or so he claimed.

A moment of silence lingered between them before Sango stepped around Miroku, a small smile plastered on her features, "Yeah, she went home to inform her mother of the news. She left her books behind though…Do you mind taking them to her?" She wasn't sure if the well would accept Sesshomaru. Supposedly, Inuyasha was allowed to pass through the well because he and Kagome were destined to be. Fate proved otherwise…and it was an interesting idea to test. If Sesshomaru couldn't pass through the well, then there was always a place where Kagome would be safe. It was best to figure out if he'd be able to do so while everyone was on good terms.

"Uh, Sango, I don't think that's a good idea…" Miroku murmured under his breath. Despite that, a part of him told him that Sesshomaru heard him anyway.

"Well Kagome needs them. There's no sense in her coming all the way back here…" She offered the books to Sesshomaru, and to her surprise, he took them wordlessly, "I haven't been there myself, but Inuyasha says that when he passes through, he just follows her scent."

He turned away from the demon slayer so that he could peer into the dark abyss of the well. If Inuyasha, a mere half-breed, passed through the well effortlessly, then there was no reason why he, Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to. Besides, he wasn't simply returning Kagome's books. He had been curious of her world since she first told him about the future. Without another thought, he descended into the dark bowels, doing so until a bright light swallowed him.

He passed through.

Xx

"Koga, are you sure you want to face this guy again?!" Ginta asked, panting heavily as he and Hakakku attempted to keep up with their leader. All day, they seemed to be heading in one direction, the human village where Inuyasha and Kagome resided. Ever since Koga's alleged defeat to Inuyasha's older brother's hands, he had been on edge.

He was jealous, they could tell.

He was in love with Kagome, and Sesshomaru defeated him, almost too easily. He wouldn't let it go. He was too stubborn to do so.

"Ginta's right Koga. Come on, turn back! He's not worth it!" Hakakku added, slowing down to a stop so that he could catch his breath.

"You two losers can stay back here, I'm going on ahead!" Koga barked, immediately taking off into a whirlwind. He'd be damned if he allowed Kagome to be taken from him, especially by a two bit mutt that snuck him unfairly.

Sesshomaru would pay for humiliating him.

He swore it on his dead kin.

Xx

"P-pregnant?" Her little girl was pregnant- pregnant and on the verge of starting her own family. To Ms. Higurashi, it was a shocker. She always knew that Kagome and Inuyasha were destined to be together, but she never expected a baby to pop up so soon. She managed a weak smile, staring across at her daughter who was seated at her desk. The older woman was on the bed when she received the news, and she was grateful.

She probably would have fainted if she had been standing, "Where is Inuyasha now?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Um…yeah, here's the thing mom." Kagome shrugged, her lips pursing, "I'm not…exactly with Inuyasha."

She blinked, "What do you mean not…with Inuyasha?"

Kagome knew this would be a problem. Her family was so used to Inuyasha. They knew him well and they trusted him to keep her safe. Now, she was with Sesshomaru, a total stranger to her family, and a stranger to her until recently, "It's not Inuyasha's child…It's Sesshomaru's."

"..Kagome, who is this man?"

She could already hear the concern in her mother's voice. She bit the inside of her cheek, "He's Inuyahsa older brother, remember, the one I told you about before?"

Ms. Higurashi's eyes widened, "You mean the one that tried to kill you!? Kagome…did he…did he-"

"No mom! He didn't force himself on me!" She felt her brow twitch as a hot blush touched her cheeks. No, it wasn't forced at all. She remembered him having her FULL cooperation with what he was doing.

He made her beg for it time after time. 

"Why would you give yourself to him then? By what you told me, he is evil…He is ruthless and evil."

"He's not like that anymore! Things are different now, I promise…" She a managed a sigh, her head falling back as she gazed up at the ceiling, "I found him hurt from a fight after Inuyasha and I had an argument…He needed me, and everything just took off from there…It happened so fast, but I know that I love him mom…I really do, and I trust him to take care of me."

"Kagome…" A frown touched her lips. Sure, she didn't like the idea of an evil demon being the father of her grandchild, but Kagome seemed at peace, and she didn't seem concerned at all. It wasn't like anything could be done about it now. She nodded her head slowly, "I think you mentioned before that he is a demon though, pure blooded unlike Inuyasha…Won't he outlive you?"

"Uh…." She was honestly speechless. Her brows knitted before she spun around in her computer chair before stopping with her back to the window behind her, "Well, I asked him about it once…He promised that he'd never forget me. I know that if I get old and wrinkly, it might make being with me difficult…but." Her gazed lowered to the ground as she spoke before flickering up to her mom.

Ms. Higurashi wasn't looking at her, more so looking behind her, out of the window

Kagome blinked.

What was she looking at?

She slowly turned in her seat….only to find herself face to face with Sesshomaru…who was standing on the other side of the window.

She fell out of her chair, immediately face flooring.

She shot up, pushing her window aside, "Sesshomaru! What..How…How did you get here?! What are you doing?! What if someone sees you!? What-!." She blinked before she noticed her books in one of his arms.

He wordlessly held them out to her.

He came all of that way, just to make sure that she had her books….

She felt a familiar color touch her cheeks before she hesitantly reached out, taking the bulky items, "Sesshomaru…I."

"You're Sesshomaru then?!" Her instantly appeared behind her, forcing the window open farther and pushing Kagome side, "Come in, come in!"

"W-What? Mom!" Kagome blurted out, stepping back as Sesshomaru's tall frame entered her bedroom. Oh Kami, Kami, Kami. She never thought this would happen. She never figured she'd have to introduce Sesshomaru to her family. She doubted he was even able to pass through the well like Inuyasha did. Now that he was there, she couldn't control him if he did something wrong, or if he tried to explore her world.

He was able to do whatever he wanted to do, and that worried Kagome.

But, she had to trust him.

Things between them wouldn't work out if she didn't have any faith in him. Besides, unlike Inuyasha, Sesshomaru had home training. He wasn't wild and loud. If anything, he was well behaved, unless he was ticked off.

She just had to keep calm and trust him.

Kami, why did all of this have to happen?

"Kagome failed to mention how handsome you were!" Her mother exclaimed, elbowing her daughter in the side.

Kagome's brow twitched. She simply wanted to die, well first, scrawl up under a rock, and then die. "Mom, you're embarrassing me!"

Sesshomaru simply nodded, golden eyes settling on the older woman.

She looked just like Kagome, even acted like her. She was the matriarch of their family- her mother. She was gazing at him with those bright and hopeful eyes that Kagome too possessed, almost as if she was overlooking what he was- a demon, capable of slaughtering them all in seconds if he so wished.

Mortals in his era usually bowed before him, though he couldn't expect the same from the humans in Kagome's world. Things were different there. He didn't smell any demons. He couldn't smell anything but humans. The environment was eerily peaceful, so much so that it unnerved him.

"Wait one moment, I need to get your brother and grandpa. We have to tell them the news!" With that, Ms. Higurashi scuttled out, intent on finding her father and Souta.

It left Kagome and Sesshomaru alone at least for the moment. Kagome sighed, pacing her way over to her desk to set the books down, "Thanks for bringing these by the way…"

"She interrogated you." He knew well that Kagome was utterly shocked to first see him. It wasn't hard exiting the well and tracking her scent to her bedroom. From the outside, he heard her mother's and her conversation about his longevity.

Her arms looped around him as she rested her chin against his chest, peering up at him. Those strong, protective arms wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer to him.

She couldn't help smiling.

"Come on now, he's this way!" Her mother's voice rang down the hall as she practically drug Souta and her father in, "Tell them you two, tell them the good news!"

For the most part, Souta was frozen in the doorway of his sister's bedroom, large brown eyes pinned on the demon lord inside, "B-But…what about Inuyasha?!"

"Evil demon!" The old man screeched, slinging a pointed finger out at Sesshomaru, "Evil demon! Evil! I must get my warding supplies!"

He hobbled out of the room as quickly as he could, no matter how Kagome's mother screamed after him, "No dad, wait! You've got it all wrong! Kagome's pregnant!"

"I want Inuyasha!" Souta sulked, his shoulder sagging dramatically, "This…sucks. How come you couldn't have a baby with Inuyasha?!"

"Grandpa!" Kagome's brow twitched, "He's not evil! Then, it was Souta's turn, "Just shut up! Get out of here, ugh!" She screamed, slamming the door shut in her little brother's face. She soon leaned against it heavily, her brows furrowing with a bit of a sigh. She nearly forgot Sesshomaru was behind her, "Uh, don't mind them….they're uh…just not used to you…"

Sesshomaru didn't particularly seem to mind. He was too busy looking over the many items in her room to mind the small outburst. He didn't expect to be accepted so easily by her family. Then again, he didn't particularly care if they were fond of him or not. Kagome was his, point blank and period.

"…Say, Sesshomaru. How'd you like to stay for dinner?" Kagome asked, smiling sheepishly as she clasped her hands behind her back.

Xx

"Hey, what are you people doing this far out?" Inuyasha skidded to a stop once he neared Kaede and a few familiar villagers. He was just setting out collecting materials for Sango. Supposedly, Shippo had gotten sick, and without Kagome present, the demon slayer decided to take care of the little squirt. There was only one thing Inuyasha knew that would instantly cure a cold, a recipe his mother came up with: Raw live from various species of animals.

It was what had him so far away from the village in the first place.

"Have ye not heard?" Kaede asked, her brow elevating, "I've come to scope out the area. The village nearest ours sent a messenger. Supposedly, a horde of wolf demons have been treading through- hundreds even, like an army."

"I mean I smelled then, but I figured they were just passing through. I haven't smelled any blood..." Inuyasha blinked before folding his arms in his haori's sleeves, "Have they been attacking any humans?" Then again, the only wolves he knew about that descended from the Northern Mountains were-

"No, not at all. That is the strange thing." The old miko pointed out, "I left Kikyo behind to protect our home just in case, but it looks as though these wolves are indeed just marching passed us."

"Sounds like Koga's wolves, and best believe that he's not just 'passing through'. I bet you he's coming back for Kagome. He has a vendetta against Sesshomaru. That stupid moron is going to get himself killed!" Inuyasha's jaw clenched. He had to reach Koga before the wolf prince did something entirely stupid.

Xx

"Mortals find the strangest ways to waste time."

Kagome scowled then, hugging Sesshomaru's arm as she guided him down to the couch, "It's not strange. Its…t.v." She shrugged, resting her head against his shoulder once he was seated, "Besides, it's supposed to be entertaining." Right now, a police drama was on, something serious, something she thought Sesshomaru would have liked.

"A waste none the less. Why are we stalking these people?" He asked, golden orbs focused on the wide black box that seemed to be emitting an image from another world.

"We're not stalking them. We're watching them." She corrected him with a nod. Watching them was different. Stalking them was creepy.

"Can they see us?"

"No." She answered.

"Then we are stalking them."

"Sesshomaru." Her brow twitched before she huffed, grabbing the remote in order to turn off the television. "Fine, we can do something else then. We can't wander around too far though. Someone might see you." She stood from the couch before grabbing his hand.

All day she had been dragging him around, allowing him to experience all the modern accommodations of her era. Thus far, he liked the shower the most, only because the water felt good, and it was a good place to have sex.

And he tried to do just that until she freaked out, knowing well her mother would hear them.

That, they couldn't do, but he also seemed to like sitting on top of their roof and merely watching the train and cars drift by. He was attentive as ever, knowing well that mortals were inside of them, almost as if the racing objects bent to their will.

It was odd that humans, the weakest of all beings that walked the land, survived. His kind seemed to dwindle off in a mere 500 years. Something grave must have happened to kill them all off- even himself. Or, was this world simply another reality outside of theirs where demons simply never existed?

The possibilities were endless.

Everything was all too peaceful there, peaceful and in order. He concluded that it was all so…boring, very boring, though he supposed that it was a safe haven. It was a last resort of he needed to keep Kagome out of harm's way, minus the castle.

Kagome was currently seated in the wooden swing attached to the Sacred Tree. Sesshomaru was leaned against it, obviously lost in thought. It was all a lot to take in, she gathered, even for him.

He probably had a lot on his mind, and they had yet to discuss plans for their baby. It was perhaps best to wait until they were alone back in his era to do so. They'd actually be able to get some planning done at least.

"Kagome, dinner's ready!" Her mother called, lifting the kitchen window as she stuck her head out of it, "I made your favorite's! Get your grandpa, I'll fetch Souta!"

"I know grandpa was showing you a few artifacts in our shed. Is he still in there?" Kagome asked, hopping up from the swing,

"He should be." Was his simple response.

The old man. He didn't particularly like Sesshomaru, then again, Sesshomaru didn't necessarily like him either. He reminded him more so of Jaken than anything. Back in the shed, he attempted to douse him with "purifying powder". By the way it smelled, it was mere ash. The old fool didn't know what he was doing, but he was Kagome's grandfather, and he couldn't kill him.

"Hey Souta, mom say's dinner's ready! Can you go get grandpa?" Her little brother was just coming up their shrine's steps in order to make it into the house.

"U-Uh, sure…" It wasn't like he wanted to be around Kagome while she was with 'Sesshomaru' anyway. The guy was a monster- supposedly, form the stories she told. Why they were so chummy and with a baby was beyond his understanding. He headed off slowly, back towards the well.

Once at the dinner table, Kagome took a seat beside Sesshomaru. Of course, he didn't eat human food, but he also supposed that he couldn't be too rude and refused. Kagome wanted him present, and she wanted him to participate.

"I wonder what's taken your grandpa and brother so long…" Ms. Higurashi's brows furrowed as she gazed at the kitchen's door.

As if on cue, Souta timidly came in. "Uh…Kagome, can you come down and help? Grandpa is hanging upside-down in the courtyard." He quickly closed the door back in fear of Sesshomaru, his feet beating the ground loudly as he ran.

"Hanging? How'd he...?" She began, but soon squinted at Sesshomaru. He was responsible for it; she was sure! She could tell that he had to find something to amuse himself with, especially knowing the nature of her grandpa.

He merely glanced back at her.

For once, he shrugged.

Xx

Sesshomaru wasn't in any particular urge to stay, and to his surprise, Kagome wasn't either. She only dropped by to tell her family of the news, but she knew getting back to the past was of the essence. They had kinks they needed to work out and needed to spend some well-deserved time alone together- that and her grandpa was more than likely going to get himself killed if her continued to bother Sesshomaru.

Only her mother was brave enough to walk the two towards the well. She didn't mind, even with the way the evening ended. The sun was just lowering, its rays peaking over the horizon. She did beg them to stay, but once Kagome's mind was made up, there was no convincing her daughter.

It was for the best, she reasoned. If Kagome was going to have her own family, it was best if she made her own decisions. "Take care you two!"

"Bye mom!" Kagome lowered down into the dark abyss of the well- sure that Sesshomaru was behind her.

But he wasn't.

Her mother stopped him.

She grabbed his haori sleeve.

"Sesshomaru, I don't…I don't know you." She said simply, her lips pursing, "But I hope to get to know you, our entire family does. Your relationship…this baby, has happened all so quickly to us."

She was worried, that much was obvious, but Sesshomaru expected to have to talk to her, sooner or later. It was the natural order. Kagome's father was deceased, he found out, and her mother was head of her family. They were bound to have this conversation sooner or later.

"And I won't hold you long, I promise. I don't know of your ethics or where your morality lies…but please take care of Kagome?" She asked, managing a weak smile, "She really adores you, that much I can tell, and she trusts you. I have no choice but to trust you as well. She tells me that you are really strong, but you know as well as I that being a…demon of your stature that you perhaps have many enemies…If it all gets too out of control and out of hand, just know that I'm always willing to take you both in…well, the three of you."

"…I will keep it in mind." He figured before that she was merely worried about Kagome's sake. As it turned out, she was worried about him as well. Mortals. They never ceased to astonish him.

Xx

It wasn't until Kagome was on the other side did she notice that Sesshomaru wasn't behind her, and she wasn't sure what was taking him so long. She gnawed her lower lip before proceeding to climb upwards and out. The moment she was eye level with the outside world, her eyes grew large.

Wolf demons….wolf demons were present as far as she could see.

There were…hundreds of them, and standing right before her was Koga.

A smirk touched is boyish features before he reached, wrapping his arms around her as he tugged her out of the well, "Heh, I knew you'd pop up somewhere around here. Come on boys, I got what I came for. We're headin' home!"


	16. Chapter 16

She doubted Kouga knew what he was getting himself into. She wasn't just Inuyasha's love interest anymore. She was mated to Sesshomaru, and the wolf was playing a very dangerous game. The daiyoukai wasn't going to like the idea of her being stolen right underneath his nose, especially if it only occurred in a split second.

This was bad.

"Koga! Put me down!" She yelled, but no matter how she squirmed and moved around, his grasp held firm. She wasn't going to escape any time soon, as it seemed, and she'd be taken to any location that Kouga deemed suitable. The wolf prince was indeed in love with her, but he had never taken her against her will. He was content with allowing her to travel with Inuyasha while he visited her on occasion, as audacious as it sounded.

What changed all of a sudden? Why was he so bent on keeping her at his side?

They were moving so fast that Kagome couldn't even see. Her hair was whipping around her head wildly, her nails digging into his back as she held onto him. They abruptly skidded to a stop, right at the very top of a mountain's peak- the mouth of it opened to form a cave. Inside were furs, treasures, and wolves…lots of wolves.

The place wasn't unfamiliar to her. Koga brought her there once before when he kidnapped her the first time. She didn't think she'd be seeing the place again so soon though.

"You're going to get yourself killed!" Kagome bit out, wiggling out of his hold. This time, he let her go. "Do you want to sign your own death warrant?!"

"Pfft!" A growl filled Koga's throat before he scoffed, adverting his gaze from the scowl on Kagome's features, "Who cares! I'm in love with you! I heard that mutt was playing fetch with you. Even when you were with that pup Inuyasha, he never made these types of moves on you! You're my woman!"

"This again?!" Kagome threw her hands up in exasperation before her cheeks grew a hot red, "I am not your woman! I'm not anyone's woman for that matter!" She blurted out. She wasn't anyone's property, for that matter, even though she didn't currently have a name for her and Sesshomaru's relationship, "I'm pregnant by Sesshomaru, if you must know!"

Her yelling caught the attention of most of the wolves in the cave, females included. They all knew of Koga's plan to mate Kagome whenever Naraku was defeated. Until then, he was allowing her to travel with her friends, knowing well that they would take care of her. He never anticipated her getting into a relationship with another guy, let alone carrying his seed.

Horror grew etched on Koga's features before he quickly grabbed her by her shoulders, "What the hell do you mean pregnant?!"

"I mean what I said." She huffed, shrugging him off, "You have some nerve! Do you realize what you've done?" Not only was Sesshomaru's pride at stake, but the entire wolf tribe had just spat in his face.

Their prince kidnapped his pregnant mate.

He was going to kill them, all of them, and Kagome knew she wouldn't be able to stop him. Whatever men Koga left behind were already dead, she figured, knowing they weren't equipped to deal with the daiyoukai.

Sesshomaru was dangerous, point blank and period, and whenever he thirsted for blood, he had a complete disregard for friend or foe. Sometimes, that in itself was more frightening than his actual power

"That's not true! You were with Inuyasha for I don't know how long, but he never…he never touched you! I'm supposed believe you're pupped by a guy you've only known for a couple of months!?" Sure, the bastard's scent was all over her, but he doubted she was carrying his heir. It just wasn't possible! Kagome was his, his to have and his to mate, and some mutt wouldn't take her from him.

The only reason Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship grew stale was simply because of his indecisiveness between her and Kikyo. Sesshomaru was direct, and he knew exactly of what he wanted, but Kagome didn't necessarily know how to put that into words without looking like a complete idiot. She could still feel the heat blooming on her cheeks, "That's not important! You have to take me back. He's going to kill all of them, and you too!" Though Koga's actions were foolish, that didn't necessarily mean he deserved to die. He was one of Kagome's friends, even if he was madly in love with her, as he so claimed to be.

Murmuring around them began. A few of the wolves had heard about Sesshomaru, courtesy of Ginta and Hakakku. If what Kagome was saying was true, this wasn't just a simple "reclaiming of property" stunt, as Koga said it was.

This was punishable by death, according to demon law.

The scent of fear spiked in the air, and it hit Koga in waves. His pack was afraid. "You don't think I can take Sesshomaru?" He barked out, glancing around the circle of wolves. Most of them seemed to be trying to look away from him, their whispers ended. They were anxious and nervous, and it only proved that they didn't have faith in their leader's capabilities.

"I'll prove you all wrong! There are hundreds of us, no-." He corrected himself, "Thousands! Do you think I'm afraid of one man?" He asked, grabbing Kagome by her upper arm and he yanked her towards him. He couldn't let their doubt cloud his judgment.

He did the right thing, he reminded himself.

Kagome was upset, but she was going to turn around, eventually. She always did. By killing Sesshomaru, he'd be able to prove himself worthy of being pack leader. Things were only going to go uphill from there. Sesshomaru couldn't fight an entire army.

Koga was betting on it.

Xx

"What the hell…?" Inuyasha skidded to a complete stop.

The scent of blood was thick in the air, wolf blood, alongside the distinct smell of his brother and his poison. He leapt high in a tree, landing easily on one of the outstretching branches. He was in the forest named after him, and just near the well, he caught the unmistakable sight of his brother's true form, a crimson-eyed, white...beast.

Sesshomaru usually preferred his humanoid form more than anything, especially fighting someone one on one…But the half-breed supposed that he didn't need his humanoid body to trample a horde of wolves.

Even from that distance he could hearl the crunch of their bones underneath his brother's heel. Kagome and Koga's scents were in the wind, faint but present, and it didn't take him long to realize that Koga foolishly made the mistake of fucking with his brother.

He bit his lower lip, his brows furrowing as he continued to watch him- his true self towering completely over the tree-line.

Sesshomaru's aura was completely flared and would probably disrupt any demons in the nearby area.

He. Was. Pissed, and Inuyasha had to give him credit. Usually he was calm and collected, seldom succumbing to anger if it could be helped.

But, this particular situation called for it.

The stupid wolf prince kidnapped his pregnant mate.

Inuyasha didn't particularly like Koga, but that didn't mean he wanted Sesshomaru to kill him. Still, this was pretty much out of his hands. He wasn't about to interfere with his brother's business one way or another, but Kagome was caught in the middle of it.

Only Kami knew how she was feeling, knowing Koga was a day or two away from his grave. Even if Inuyasha managed to return Kagome to Sesshomaru's side, it wouldn't be enough. The wolf just doomed his entire tribe.

Nothing could be done to help, and there was sure as hell no way of talking Sesshomaru out of murdering them.

He had yet to notice, but the small tremors, that shook the ground as Sesshomaru ended the lives of the wolf-brethren, ended. An eerie silence settled over forest, before Inuyasha was instantly faced with the humanoid form of his older brother. He was just floating there, and Inuyasha was too ashamed to admit it, but he didn't even know how long he had been there, just watching him.

He nearly jumped out of skin.

A soft growl filled his throat, though he straightened his posture on the branch, folding his arms inside of his kimono sleeves.

He didn't' even see the bastard move towards him.

The smartass was fast, really fast, but not faster than Koga.

He knew why Sesshomaru decided to "visit" him. Though Koga and Kagome's scent was in the wind, that really didn't give any of them the direction related to where they were, and he doubted Sesshomaru knew of where Koga's wolf den was.

But Inuyasha did. He had been there once before. It was north, in the mountains, near the dormant dragon Ryukottsei, and he figured Sesshomaru knew that he was aware of the wolf's location.

He took note that he had never seen his brother so...upset before. He was usually unreadable, stoic...but Kagome's kidnapping bothered him. He seemed disturbed by it.

He didn't necessarily want to aid in Koga's demise, but he too was worried about Kagome. He didn't necessarily like her being with Sesshomaru, but he definitely didn't like her being with Koga, for obvious reasons.

The wolf was too cocky.

"They're towards the ox tiger." The North East. He couldn't help how his upper lip twitched. He didn't like this at all. He felt like he was robbing one man in order to pay off the other...but this was about Kagome, not about him.

She needed Sesshomaru, especially since she was with child.

Koga shouldn't have kidnapped her.

Xx

"Oh come on Kagome, you've been sulking for the last two days!" Koga snapped, his teeth gritting, "You're going to like it here, just give it a chance. You'll miss your friends, and that little kit, but I'm sure we can fetch him too." A boyish grin touched his features, "You'll see." They were out near the far reaches of the mountain's cliffs, overlooking what seemed to be the wolf prince's domain. There were hundreds of wolves scattered over the area, tending to their day to day business.

"Koga!" Kagome blurted out his name, "Why won't you listen to me?! I'm pregnant, didn't I tell you?!" She was yelling to the top of her lungs, but Koga didn't seem bothered.

"Eh, so what? You can keep his pup and have mine. What's the big deal?!"

Below them, the howling of wolves was heard, their Quadra-pedal counterparts all scurrying to their mouth of the den, directly at the bottom of a steep cliff.

Someone was coming.

Kagome recognized his aura anywhere, "Sesshomaru..." She breathed his name, her voice almost yearning. She was so frustrated and upset with Koga that she didn't realize how much she missed him. However, the feeling of nostalgia was ripped away from her.

The wolf tribe was done for.

"..He's here?" Already? Koga figured he had a week to at least prepare for the mutt's arrival. His brows narrowed as he positioned himself in front of Kagome.

He remembered, it was nearly five thousand against one...one demon. Their enemy would be overwhelmed in no time, where the wolf prince himself would be able to deliver the finishing blow.

Only an idiot walked into a wolf's den on purpose, "He's here!" Koga barked, taking hold of one of the spears that was stuck in the ground before him.

Kagome was his, his to have, his to claim, and there wasn't anyone around that would take her from him, not even her supposed mate.

"Koga! Get out of here!" Kagome grabbed the fur of his armor, tugging and pulling, "You've got to get out of here!" She dug her heels into the ground as she pulled on him, to no avail. He was rooted in that spot.

Even if a handful of the wolves survived, it was better than what she would hope for if they tried to fight him.

The wolf demons were just normal demons, heightened senses with no particularly special abilities. They had fangs, and claws, and Koga was one of the strongest when using the Jewel Shards in his legs and in his arms. He was formidable with them, but Kagome wasn't sure if he could withstand fighting Sesshomaru. Even the Tetsusaiga had yet to kill him.

A blue surge of electricity flared from below, a bright light following suit. Abruptly, silence fell over the area followed my an ear-shattereing explosion. Kagome's hands came up to her ears, feeling them beginning to ring. The entire den and mountainside began to tremble, stray rocks sliding downwards as the earth shook. Just when it seemed the explosion was dying down, dismembered parts of the wolves began to fly up the cliff- the blood splattering, staining even the highest peaks of the steep walls.

It was the Dragon Strike.

Kagome felt nauseas all of a sudden, catching sight of the spilled guts of a particular wolf. The rest of the tribe that wasn't involved in the first strike below froze, their eyes wide.

Koga seemed completely paralyzed for the most part, his eyes clearly piercing through the dust and debris below them to find the daiyoukai standing over the dead and destroyed bodies of some of his kinsman. "Get the damn sword away from him!" The wolf prince shouted, holding tight to the spear in his grasp. If they at least managed that, they could take him. His stomach twisted in a knot at the thought of how many of his kin was dead already...dead from nearly one swipe of the blade.

He couldn't have that.

More wolves howled, dashing over the side of the mountain as they sped towards their aggressor.

Elevating the blood stained sword once more, another bright surge of energy pulsed through the blade- shooting forward, immediately dissipating the wolven-kin that sprinted towards him- their ashes billowing in the wind.

Wolves weren't necessarily known for being the smartest of lowly beings, but more of them ran towards him, weapons poised and drawn. This time, they didn't run directly at him. They split up, running around him, one group after the next...as if it would be enough to stop him.

Ginta nervously waited on top of one of the cliffs, large beady eyes looking like gaping saucers. He could barely breathe.

Koga was going to get them all killed.

The moment he blinked his eyes, the daiyoukai was no longer in the same spot. The moment his eyes shot upwards, he saw the demon lord descending on his tribal members with a white, hot acid gas from his hand-the poison strong enough to eat away at the ground beneath them.

They screamed and screeched as the acid chewed and gnawed at their skin- burning down to their very bone. Their flesh began to sizzle, lumping up into boils before exploding from the muscle just underneath.

Sesshomaru's hand remained an ominous green, smoke rising from his palm and claws, unreadable golden orbs focused on the prey around him that dared linger in his path.

Their fear was raw to his senses, so very vivid.

One of them slowly stepped backwards, and in that instant, his claws was buried in the wolf's abdomen. The wolf, someone that had yet to see over a century sputtered, shock spreading over his features. Blood rose to his mouth and he began to choke on the thick substance. He staggered backwards, his eyes rolling into the top of his head before he fell dead.

"Koga, we can't take him!" Ginta yelped, mouth agape as his gaze quickly flickered from Sesshomaru to the horde of wolves, animal and demon alike around him.

"I've got him!" He figured it would be easier bringing him down. He spun the spear in one hand before jetting off down the mountain side, forming a tornado as he did so.

"Koga!" Kagome reached for him, but in a moment, he was gone, speeding down towards the valley of the den. She didn't need demon sight to tell that many of the wolves were already losing, and Sesshomaru didn't appear to be getting tired anytime soon.

More and more wolves darted towards him, and he easily tore through them, deadly and precise swings of Tokijin bringing their lives to a swift in.

Though they were afraid, they weren't about to let him ruthlessly kill their kin. If they were going to die anyway, they preferred trying to take him with them. Still, no matter how close they got to him, they didn't manage to land a single strike before they were killed.,

Sesshomaru lifted Tokijin once more, intent on tearing them apart with yet another surge of energy, but the blade was kicked away from him, courtesy of Kouga who sped off once more, running vertically up the steep walls and skidding to a stop beside Kagome.

The demonic blade flipped and land several paces away- out of his immediate reach.

His golden eyes briefly flickered towards it, only to feel something impale him- something through his shoulder...one of the wolf's spears.

"He hit him!" Ginta announced, throwing his hands above his head, however, his excitement was short lived.

Without another thought, Sesshomaru grabbed the wooden length of the spear and slid it out of himself. His hand shot out, grabbing the ookami around his throat, instantly breaking his neck. He tossed the limp body towards more of the wolves who fell backwards as they caught their deceased comrade.

"What manner of beast are you?!" One of them yelled, dropping his weapon as he staggered backwards, away from the enraged demon lord.

With a single arch of his hand, a bright whip of light form, shredding through the lesser demons closer to him, tearing their bodies to shreds.

He'd put an end to them, all of them.

The entire wolf tribe was scattered, the earth beginning to tremble as they stampeded through the mountains. They were all in a panic, tearing and ripping through one another in an effort to escape the enraged Daiyoukai. The dead remains of their kinsmen littered the ground, all covered in red pools of their blood.

Kagome felt sick to her stomach. Pups and women alike were all screaming, the children clinging to their matrons, even as their dead bodies fell limply. Severed heads and limbs accompanied the deceased- most of the wolves' eyes gaping wide in their deaths, almost as if they experienced something horrific before their demise.

Sesshomaru was out of control.

It was no longer about killing Koga. He was now simply after the entire tribe, almost as if he wished to erase them from the face of the earth. More wolves charged for him, weapons drawn- some of them possessing tears that streamed down their cheeks from the sorrow of their dead brethren, but they too experienced the same fate.

If Sesshomaru didn't kill Koga, the wolf prince was going to kill their pup, Kagome reminded herself. She couldn't interfere, otherwise she was putting her own child at risk…but, there was so much blood shed for her sake.

More wolves sprang from the cavers of the mountain, pooling into the valley below. Archers presented themselves, all lined up as they prepared to shoot a horde of arrows in their enemy's direction.

Spotting them, Kagome ran, grasping a fallen wolf's bow and arrow quiver as she did so. Somehow, she had to stop this. "No!" Before she knew it, she had an arrow positioned on her bow. She fired, sending the flare of purifying energy directly against the mountain side in which the archers stood. They lost balance, some losing grips on their bows. It was enough to stop them from shooting at Sesshomaru.

She didn't want him hurt, even though he was slaughtering so many.

Sesshomaru's eyes cut over to Kagome, his claws sinking into the fleshy mass of one of the wolves' throat- severing his head from his body. He wasn't certain of when Kagome made it down the mountain side, but she looked emotionally torn. It was one of the many consequences of being human, he gathered. She felt for them, for those lowly beasts when they meant absolutely nothing to him.

Koga sped into the valley, running horizontally along the step walls, quick as ever in an attempt to take Sesshomaru. However, no matter how he punched at him, kicked at him, it was almost as if the silver-haired youkai was predicting his each and every move. By then, the rest of the tribe continued to flee and those remaining stayed clear of the one-on-one battle that was ensuing.

"Damn you to hell!" Koga barked, his lips ajar with a deep and guttural snarl once he skidded to a stop. Behind him, dust and debris billowed because off the sheer speed of how fast he was originally moving.

Kagome could see the sacred Jewels in his arms and legs shining brightly, almost as if they were being used to their max capacity, but she knew well that Koga wasn't done.

He could move faster than that, way faster, but she didn't know if he'd be able to keep up with Sesshomaru.

She didn't really want to find out.

"It's a good thing you're around dead men because you're gonna die!" Koga sped off towards his target again slamming his Jewel Shard endowed arm right into the ground beneath Sesshomaru.

An explosion followed suit, more dust rising high into the valley, and Sesshomaru narrowly evaded, leaping high into the air.

A whirlwind followed behind Koga as he darted towards him, closing the distance between them in mere seconds.

The wolf was fast, really fast, faster than he was, as it seemed. Although, speed wasn't everything.

"Mutt, you're too slow!" He grinned, spotting an opening as Sesshomaru dodged another punch. He withdrew his fist before upper-cutting the demon lord, landing a hit right in his jaw.

Time seemed to stand still, Kagome's own eyes widening in surprise. Sesshomaru's only natural reaction was to flip backwards, landing on the opposite side of the valley.

The corners of his eyes bled red, but his face remained passive. "You should have surrendered." He would show the wolf just how futile his efforts were.

Koga shot out again, a mere blur to the human eye. His fist was pulled back, intent on smashing the 'stupid bastard' in his smug face. Before the hit landed, Sesshomaru's clawed hand caught his wrist, instantly stopping the wolf prince in his tracks.

His blue eyes grew large, nearly the size of saucers, but his surprise was short-lived. Koga felt Sesshomaru's fist collide with the center of his face- a green flare of poison blooming from his claws

The mere force behind the punch sent him skidding across the ground, meters away. His entire face was numb, but the moment he opened his eyes, he realized he couldn't see.

The damn mutt's venom temporarily blinded him.

He blinked hard, once or twice, before scrambling to his feet. No matter how he shook his head, he wasn't clearing his vision.

"Koga's hurt!" Ginta yelped, clinging on to Hakkaku for dear life, "We're done for, it's all over!"

"You cannot run, if you cannot see." Sesshomaru's low, yet smooth tone met his ears- predatory in nature and mocking. Koga didn't have to see to know that the 'jackass' was smirking. "You thought that you could escape my grasp?" Primal, golden eyes watched the wolf as he stumbled about blindly. He promised himself he'd make the wolf witness the death of his kin before he killed him completely. He'd make him suffer for kidnapping his mate.

"Where are you?!" Koga snapped, though a pain filled groan left his lips once something sliced through one of his calves, bringing him down to one knee.

It was Sesshomaru's light whip.

He couldn't be defeated, not so easily, not after this bastard killed half of his clan. He had to be killed. Sesshomaru would die, he vowed, and though he wasn't sure how he was going to do it, it had to be done. He bit his lower lip hard, drawing blood. He could smell him near, almost a hair's breadth away.

This was his chance, while his guard was down.

He pushed off with one leg, his arm shooting toward, shining brightly with the effects of the shard.

He hit him, hard, hard enough to knock the Daiyoukai off balance and shatter his armor.

Sesshomaru's brow elevated slowly, feeling his curiass crumble, revealing his white kimono underneath.

Koga stumbled off a few paces, soon falling to his knees once pain shot up his injured leg, "Damn it all!" He hissed, clutching the bleeding wound. He still attempted to blink, find that his vision was trying to clear, but it was taking far too long.

He underestimated the wolf, but it would never happen again. His life was going to end there.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome called, standing meters way from them both. There were dead wolves, everywhere, as far as the eye could see, and those that were left behind were simply standing about, cowering, frozen in place. They didn't know whether to attack or whether to help their leader. They weren't trained warriors, and obviously weren't prepared for Sesshomaru.

"Ginta, take Kagome and run for it!" Koga called, smelling the familiar scent that accompanied her. He could also smell salt in the wind.

She was crying.

"No!" She tried to blink back the tears, but she still felt the hot droplets slide down her cheeks.

There were so many dead wolves…so many. The wolf tribe would never forgive them for this! Koga was going to kill her pup, she reminded herself. If he survived, he was going to come after them, again and again. She wouldn't have peace, not like this, A third of the ookami were wiped out, and the rest either fled or were wounded, "There's no need for any more blood-shed. Your fight…is one on one…" It pained her to say it, knowing well that Koga was about to be killed. He was…blind as it seemed, and he couldn't escape. He couldn't run…and she couldn't side against Sesshomaru.

She was stuck.

"Stay out of this. You are a mere mortal. It is above your understanding." His mate felt compassion for the wolf, Sesshomaru realized. From what he could tell, they were somewhat of friends, though the wolf crossed a line, an act he would pay for in blood. By demon law, his transgressions were punishable by death. Naraku would receive the same fate when he was found. Until then, his anger over the matter would would be sated by the wolves' demise. He reached out, a clawed hand taking hold of Tokijin. "You will be killed with a blade that has claimed most of your kin. A fitting end for you is it not?"

Kagome swallowed hard, her azure eyes cutting away. There was no reasoning with Sesshomaru when he was like this, when he was so caught up in the differences between humans and demons. "Ginta, Hakakku..run, please…Run!" She begged them. There was nothing either of them could do for Koga. It was best if the remainder of the tribe left. Matters could only get worse if they stuck around.

"We can't leave Koga!" They both responded, their eyes blurred with tears. They gripped their weapons tight, stepping forward. The moment Sesshomaru directed Tenseiga towards them, they froze, their scents of fear spiking in the air.

She never felt so helpless in all of her life. Whose side was she going to choose, the side of the man that kidnapped her who happened to be one of her closest friends, or the man she loved more than anything.

Sesshomaru sunk Tokijin into Koga's chest, doing so until he felt the steel of the blade meet the ground underneath the wolf. Koga's voice grew strangled, blood filling his mouth. His black brows furrowed, the crimson substance sliding from his lips and outside of his mouth. His lips quivered with unspoken words, his gaze settling on Kagome.

She couldn't just watch. She couldn't. She ran to Koga's side, or at least tried to. Sesshomaru yanked the blade out of the prince's abdomen, one arm wrapping around Kagome's waist.

She was trying desperately to reach him, and she wanted so badly to heal him, her cries and screams endless as Sesshomaru drug her away from the dying Ookami. She was yanking from him, viciously, but he held her tight.

"Let go!" She screamed repeatedly, her sobs sounding in between. She continued to reach and reach for him, no matter how she was pulled away.

Koga blinked slowly, yet once his eyes reopened, they were distant. Would he die there...?

Sesshomaru would spare the rest of them, for Kagome's sake at least. She witnessed enough blood shed for one day.


	17. Chapter 17

The Sky Palace.

So far, Sesshomaru figured it was the safest place to take Kagome. No one could reach her there. There was no way the entire wolf tribe could reach the heights of the clouds, that and the five-hundred souless army positioned at the castle's gates provided additional defense.

"Are you unharmed?"

She wasn't looking at him. Her gaze was adverted, her fists balled tight in her skirt. Her tears were no more but her eyes remained watery and puffy.

"Kagome." He repeated her name, watching as she slowly began to shake her head. her hands came up to her face before she slowly turned her back to him.

He was covered in blood, from head to toe as it seemed- blood of scores of innocent wolves. Whatever vendetta Sesshomaru had against Koga could have been settled without the unnecessary blood-shed, but she hadn't done anything to stop it.

She let it happen.

She reasoned that Koga wrongfully kidnapped her, but that didn't change the fact that he was also her friend!

He was just being pig-headed and arrogant as usual, and she supposed deep down….she knew Sesshomaru was going to kill him...but she didn't know so many people would lose their lives for….her sake!

She was not worth so much bloodshed.

"I’m going home." She whispered, unable to keep her voice from wavering. She just wanted to return to the other side of the well. She just wanted to be in the comfort of her home. Kagome couldn't help withdrawing. The only thing she could visualize was how Sesshomaru's claws ripped through wolf after wolf, "You killed them…”

It wasn't like when Inuyasha slaughtered a band of bandits mercilessly. He wasn't himself, but Sesshomaru was himself, and he planned the entire genocide. He killed wolves that were fleeing from him with little to no thought about it. This was the man she was mated to- the demon she was mated to.

He was the Sesshomaru she and Rin knew, but he was still the same vicious assassin she met in Toga's tomb.

Nothing about him had changed, as far as she was concerned. She was just coming to terms with the horrible truth that Inuyasha warned her of. He was cold and merciless, and would always be that way.

"He kidnapped you, and my seed. You both could have been killed." He reached, grabbing Kagome by her arm, no matter how she protested.

"That was a fight between you and Koga! You killed innocent by-standards- all of his comrades!" She responded, staring heatedly into the cold golden orbs she had come to know, “And you say it was for me?! Sesshomaru…” How was she supposed to live with herself knowing that?

"They attacked first. It was a matter of pride." It was his way of saying they started it. As far as he was concerned, they were a tribe. Usually tribes weren't fond of the idea of someone walking in and killing their leader. He had no choice but to kill them. They would have been in the way. There was a reason the imbecile brought so many soldiers with him to steal her away. It was a show of force—an intimidating tactic that went poorly.

"They attacked first? I guess you finished it then, didn't you?" Kagome seethed out, tugging away from him, though he wasn't going to let her go, that much was obvious.

His opposite hand came up, grabbing her chin, forcing her to look at him, "No other decision could be made.” He would never admit it, but the moment he smelled the wolf prince's scent back in the well, dread overtook him. He was worried, worried about Kagome, worried about his heir. He knew the wolf was fond of her, but he didn't know that he would take it that far, that he'd be foolish enough to steal her away to claim her as his own.

“Sesshomaru, there is always another way! We could have talked to him, given him a chance to let me go!” Kagome stressed, trembling hands coming up to her face once she felt another wave of tears assault her senses.

Xx

"Honestly Sesshomaru, you are worse than your father. At least his human respected him." The words were said with a mock pout as Inu Kimi's upper lip twitched. It was unheard of for a demon of her son's caliber to be disobeyed so blatantly by a mere mortal. The girl had been given specific orders to accompany the servants down the halls in order to begin her training. If she was soon to be his Lady, she had to be taught to act like one, but the stubborn girl wouldn't even come out. Each and every day, she defied them, remaining locked in the godforsaken room. She only took food and water, but otherwise, she refused to come out.

"The only reason I've not killed her is simply because you asked me not to. It would be a shame if she were to have an accident though."

Thus far, Sesshomaru had been ignoring his mother. He stood outside one of the Sky Castle's many balconies, observing as Rin and Jaken ran around one another in the gardens. His molten eyes stared off into the distance, concentrated and focused- just as his demeanor. In times such as these, no one dared to approach him…minus his mother. He seemed to be in a trance-like state, ignorant of the environment around him. Such was not true, however. If anything, he was more aware than he had ever been. He was simply brooding.

This way, they were all safe. All wolves that wanted revenge would never be able to reach them- unless they sprouted wings of course. For now, things were calm. However, the moment Inu Kimi mentioned an accident, the Daiyoukai's eyes cut towards her.

Her patience was wearing thin, but it was expected. She was never a patient person to begin with.

Like Mother, Like Son.

"All the while you've been gone, she's been cooped up in there. It's been nearly a week. Surely you can smell the scent of salt pouring from the room. I never knew humans could cry literal rivers. You never did tell me what happened." She took her seat at the very edge of her throne, undoing the intricate ties that held her hair together.

"I got rid of the Northern Wolf Tribe." It was more so complicated than that, but it was the gist of it. He barely recalled what occurred after discovering Kagome was alive and well. He’d been overcome with an incontrollable rage and dread. It was certainly unlike him. It was one of the rarest of times where he wished to torture his opponent rather than going swiftly for the kill.

"I am assuming because of that mortal woman." She snorted faintly, "It was bound to happen sooner or later. They were an inferior race of demons.“

“Kagome has special affinity for life." She saw the good in everyone, including him. The Wolf Prince was a close friend of hers, a closer friend than he first perceived. He thought the bastard an infatuated fool that would not dare cross that particular line with him.

"Who cares about a mortal's wants?"

"...They are often useless, yet they will one day invent showers." Said as a matter of fact. 

Inukimi quirked her brow slowly. "...What exactly is a shower?"

Koga had been the least of his worries if he wanted to tally up his concerns. Naraku and the dark priestess were his priority for poisoning Kagome. Naraku disappeared, but he planned to hunt the hanyou down and end him—before she gave birth. 

Forging a stable environment where they would be safe was another issue, because he did not see himself living in the land beyond the well. He also did not want to wake to traces of Inuyasha’s scent either.

There was also the task of collecting the sacred shards. There was entirely no way he was going to allow the half-breed and his clay doll to surpass he and Kagome in gathering them.

Last was his valid but less pressing concern with what exactly transpired over the next five-hundred years that wiped out all demonic kind. It had been nagging him since he returned from the future where the humans reigned supreme.

Kagome was a bit different in her worries.

She wanted to become stronger to defeat the dark priestess that poisoned her and Naraku. She wanted to be strong enough to protect herself without Sesshomaru’s aid. She needed desperately to have a talk with….Inuyasha of all people to just clear the air between them—to truly move on. Last time they spoke, it was because he accidently struck her whilst attempting to fight Sesshomaru. That, and she had matters to tie up in her era, like home schooling and getting a physical and an ultrasound. She too wanted to collect the shards and refused to allow herself to be beaten by Kikyo.

Like Sesshomaru though, Koga was NEVER on her radar, and he was dead, his corpse on a mountain—an unmarked grave for all of his people. That was the Wolf Prince’s legacy, and Kagome blamed herself.

Xx

Before he even got near the sliding doors, Kagome felt Sesshomaru's presence. Finally, he returned, but it didn't make much of a difference. She didn't want to see him. She simply wanted to go back and bury Koga's dead kin.

She wanted to see if Koga was...alright.

She and Sesshomaru left them sprawled all over the mountain like some sort of warning to anyone that opposed them. The mere thought of it brought fresh tears to her eyes again. She wanted to forget all of this, forget that she ever met him. So many lives had been lost because of his rage, his rage over her being kidnapped.

This was all her fault.

If she hadn't been reckless and simply stayed away from Sesshomaru, none of this would have happened, at least she thought.

Each and every night, she dreamed about them, dreamed about them dying- the scenes playing over and over in her mind until she awoke with a jolt, her entire body covered in sweat.

How could she be apart of something so cruel?

Sesshomaru's silhouette behind the sliding doors captured her attention. She couldn't help glaring, sitting up on the grand bed provided for her. She didn't want to see him, she didn't. She especially did not want to be in the same room with him. The moment the door slid back, she made it her business to just storm right by him. She didn't know where she was going, but she just wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

Things did not quite play out how she imagined.

Sesshomaru wordlessly grabbed the upper part of her arm and more or less threw her towards the bed. She landed flat on her back, but the moment she sat up again, she realized that Sesshomaru had closed the door behind him.

"No!" She spat, knowing of what he intended. She pressed herself towards the edge of the bed before climbing out, "You are not going to touch me, not ever again!"

She expected him to remain silent, and he did. Whenever he was hell-bent on something, there was no talking him out of it. He did not except excuses.

She shoved him, as hard as she could once he got nearer, but she should have known that it wouldn't work. It was like pushing a brick wall. He easily caught one of her wrists, but she slapped him, hard, as hard as she could, and for the first time, he seemed…stunned.

He didn't move.

Her azure eyes were widened into gaping orifices as she stared at him.

Oh kami…she hit him…she actually hit him.

Dread washed over her frame, a small tremble racing up and down her back. She blinked, and before she knew it, she was flat against the bed, Sesshomaru's fingers laced with her own- her wrists pinned above her head.

"L-Let go." She demanded and squirmed, or attempted to, but Sesshomaru wasn't moving, not anytime soon.

"You may defy the half-breed.” 

"Take me home, take me home!" She screamed, still writhing and squirming underneath him.

"No.' Was his simple answer, his lips falling against her own.

Kagome couldn't breathe. She felt sick, sick and conflicted. In his absence, she missed him, her body missed him, it ached for him even…but after what happened, she just…she couldn't. And maybe he sensed it, because abruptly his presence left her. When she opened her eyes again, he was gone. 

Her friend's murderer was her lover, and there was no changing that.

There was no changing him.

Xx

"Oh, you’re out of your room, human." Inu Kimi drawled out, spotting the Kagome from the doorway. She was in the library, her hands ghosting over her former mate's many battle manuals and recordings. It wasn't often that she did as such, but she was more so curious of how and why her mate, and even her son, were so attached to mortals. She guessed that clues would be found in his most personal journals, but she did not seem to be having luck. It was then that she spotted Kagome apprehensively standing in the doorway.

She was dressed just to the demoness' liking in an elaborate and brilliantly colored kimono. She did indeed look as a proper Lady should, "…It took some coaxing to get you out of there. Did he use his tongue?" She nonchalantly asked, slipping one of the journals back into its proper place, "If he is like his father, I know he did."

Kagome blinked, once or twice before her entire face flushed red, her eyes becoming so wide they nearly fell out of her head "….E-Excuse me?!” Sesshomaru’s mother, definitely. Looked like his twin. “I was ABOUT to ask you if there was a place where I could practice my archery!” WE DIDN’T-“ Well…they sort of did, didn’t they, so she cut that sentence short, “I haven’t even seen Sesshomaru today!”

"Archery?” Her golden irises finally slid over to the younger girl's direction.

Xx

Perhaps most of the living guards thought it laughable for such a young one to hope for any mastery over a weapon, let alone a bow.

Their amusement was swallowed with the revelation of the sacred arrow, and her dedication towards mastering it. She only took food and water, but otherwise, she refused to speak to Sesshomaru unless she was being made to. Her aim however was becoming…impeccable. InuKimi confessed days later that the girl possessed an extraordinary amount of spiritual power, and strangely, it’d been rising since her arrival…as if she was preparing for something.

Just what exactly did she plan to do while pregnant?

It was also not uncommon to see her in meditation or…prayer, like Kikyo taught her during their stunt along in the cave. She was able to conjure up a significant amount of power….dare say power that demons needed to be weary of. It was as if she was coming into her own…like a decision of great importance had been made. She’d given herself an ultimatum, and that made her fearless…but dangerous.

Inuyasha was a half-breed and was put into a deep sleep by such a priestess. That would never happen to Sesshomaru, his mother was certain…But who wanted to take such a chance?

Xx

Kagome was still angry with him.

She shied from his touch, and her eyes did not possess the same radiant adoration that they held before. It was as if her affection was…misplaced, as if she doubted herself. He did not understand the human emotions that plagued her beyond anger and love, and fear was indeed new to him. It was that foreboding, gnawing, irritant that assaulted his senses, made his stomach twist—that feeling when he thought her to be lost in Naraku’s clutches.

Guilt and shame were a murky and unexplored territory for a being like him. His life was perpetual and seemingly infinite. Such emotions grew lost with time.

This was indeed Koga’s fault. He was rash and boastful, a fool to an exponential degree, and yet… 

Keeping her trapped in the sky castle was a fool’s ploy. Kagome was hardly obedient in any sense of the word. She openly defied his younger brother without hesitation—right in front of him during his and Inuyasha’s battle in their father’s tomb.

Back then, he told Inuyasha that his patience with Kagome was astonishing, and Sesshomaru meant it. He even tried to kill her, though Tetsusaiga’s barrier interfered.

Incidentally, had he been successful, they would not be in their current predicament.

There would be a point in time in the future when Kagome broke away from him, pupped or not, and she would shun him for the choices he made.

He wondered when his affairs became so complex. His goals, emotions, and even his life were once simpler. Killing the wolves was a decision forged in common sense and logic, one any demon of his stature would have made. However, the girl’s sorrow had been suffocating, so palpable within the castle. Perhaps it was best to at least show her the grounds…Maybe she would adore her living quarters more.

And Sesshomaru would find himself outdone because Kagome was not in her room. His armor was present since he’d slept there with her the previous night….and yet one very important piece was missing from his deadly ensemble.

Tenseiga.

Sesshomaru swiftly turned on his heels, following the path of her scent easily. She couldn’t have gotten far. Perhaps she was training again? No…and he was beginning to realize something of grave importance that he’d not noticed before.

Ah Un’s aura was absent. “She escaped.” With the Tenseiga, and from the armory, a bow and many arrows. Just what In Kami’s name was she planning?!

Xx

"…Most of them were dead. I shouldn't have told him where they were, I shouldn't have." Inuyasha's ears grew flat against his head. That night, he was seated around all of his friends, a campfire in the middle of them. Behind them, a bandaged Koga laid, fast asleep. He'd been asleep since Inuyasha brought him back to Kaede’s village. Kikyo saved the bastard's life, and now it was only a matter of time before he awakened.

"Inuyasha, it couldn't have been helped. If anything, Sesshomaru was going to find them anyway. He wasn't going to stop searching whether you helped him or not. We were all worried about Kagome and would have made the same call if he’d gone looking for her." Miroku gently placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Miroku's right. This isn't your fault. Sesshomaru was blood thirsty, and it made him do…what he did." Sango added. She only hoped that Kagome was alright. More than likely, she witnessed the slaughter of them all- something not even a well-trained warrior could stomach.

"…We should eventually go to put the dead to rest. Maybe give them proper burials? "Kikyo offered, managing a weak smile, "As humans, I've learned that it is…difficult getting involved in demon affairs. We do not understand their customs. We cannot truly be sure what drove such a massacre, but we can help ferry the dead to peace. Hopefully, we can give them honorable burials."

"Will Koga survive?" Shippo asked, his head tilting. he had been silent thus far, gnawing on the inside of his cheek. It wasn't often that Inuyasha was down about anything, but the small kit supposed that this time...things with Koga had to have been bad, really bad.

Inuyasha's lips pursed then, but he nodded. Koga was a dick, he was. He was a jerk. He was a jackass, but he didn't deserve...this. Most of his entire tribe didn't deserve to be wiped out, blotted from the face of the earth as if they really never existed. Sesshomaru only allowed a few them to live to tell the tale of their massacre.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Test Version. May not be the final version of this chapter.

Perhaps they deemed her prey to a predator—weak, useless, maybe even defenseless. She knew for certain Sesshomaru figured that, despite her bravery and gall. He felt that she, a lowly mortal, was completely misguided and often interfered in demonic affairs. 

Affairs that did not concern her like this one: restoring the lost wolf tribe.

Kagome could hardly comprehend the barbarism that composed demonic culture. To her, lines drawn in the sand were washed away by tides of mercy. There was no such concept with demons. It was all an eye for an eye, or worse- a tribe for a woman. The weak were killed by the strong, and the strong dictated with a domineering hand. She did not understand his side of the story, beyond his worry. She was unharmed, and that should have been enough to spare them….

He left her no other option but to use the Tenseiga herself to reverse this tragic wrong—a blight on her humanity.

She needed it, yet did she have the power to wield it? 

The evidence of a mortal wielding one of the legendary swords had yet to be seen, but it was a sword of healing. It had the ability to purify souls and ferry them back from the underworld. Her own powers were so like its own. She could never hope to bring anyone back from the dead by herself, yet with the spiritual powers she possessed, maybe she could use the sword as a conduit. If that failed, Inuyasha would be the next best person to wield it, though she didn’t exactly want to get him involved.

Sesshomaru was probably having a cow now that she was gone, and he would have an even bigger cow (if she could call his blatant disregard for friend or foe when he was angry a cow), if she gave his sword to Inuyasha of all people.

That would be the ultimate act of betrayal. This, she had to do on her own, and she first started by descending with Ah Un to pass through a river. The water could wash away her scent. Unfortunately, it wasn’t like she knew where she was going, but she managed to snag a weathered map from the armory. It would suffice, despite the crude drawings, to get her where she needed to go.

Ah Un, the benevolent beast, didn’t even protest her small rebellion. He was truly compliant, and she would be sure to get him some nice, juicy grass as compensation for his obedience. She would have never been able to escape without him, and he was her current company keeper. She’d never been so far out alone—though the dragon would have her back. For once, she would make her own way, and no one, the dark priestess nor Naraku would stop her from what she needed to do. 

She owed it to Koga and his people to at least try….

Day became night and vice versa, and before she knew it, she’d been alone three days in a row, just following the length of that particular river to fool Sesshomaru’s nose. It was obviously working because he had not found her…Though an unwanted demon would. 

To her horror, she could sense a large amount of jewel fragments, and the miasma of evil that tainted them. She felt nauseas—light headed, her hands sweaty. She knew…knew who it was down the river’s path….and by then, he too perhaps sensed her, a being of immense sacred power. Naraku…Naraku and the dark priestess. 

To think, all the times Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were looking for the bastard, and she accidently stumbled upon him. But maybe that was not it…she always felt an unnatural pull towards the Jewel, and maybe she’d been unconsciously following it. She was on her own now with the serenity to follow her senses alone without her friends tugging their group in several directions.

Abruptly, that dark and evil aura began to approach her at a rapid rate. Near the water’s edge, the plant life began to wither as the greenery browned before it all dissolve into ash. 

Naraku didn’t smell Sesshomaru near and the moment he deposited from the cloud of deadly miasma, Kagura and Tsubaki at his side, their mutual thoughts were confirmed.

Kagome was there on her own.

To her credit, she did not give them much opportunity for familiarities. Kagura opened her fan in preparation for a noxious wind assault, but her crimson eyes grew wide as one of the sacred arrows darted passed her and embedded itself in the tree behind her---snagging her earring in the process. Before long the brat had another arrow drawn taut on the string.

She wanted to fight—rather, she would fight them by any means necessary, and it was not the look of a cornered animal she bore. No, it was the look of someone with a dogmatic tenacity and stubbornness to protect herself and the life within her.

The look of someone that would kill Naraku. She did not act when Koga needed her most. It would never happen ever again, she promised herself. It was the end of her allowing events to transpire around her without her say.

Naraku need not even give Tsubaki the command to attack the priestess. She was vindictive enough to take the initiative. With Kagome in his grasp, he would have Sesshomaru and Inuyasha’s power held hostage. Even the monk and demon slayer would bend to his will if the girl’s life was threatened. It was the perfect opportunity, but he too was perplexed. Where was the demon lord, and why was his woman left to her lonesome once again? Careless. Sesshomaru was simply careless, and he would come to regret it.

The first time Tsubaki encountered the girl, she was weak—easily beaten and cursed, and this time she figured Kagome was still the same—even if she’d gotten better with her toy of a bow and arrow. She was no Kikyo and would never be. There was no reason to fear her or anticipate any sort of danger. 

The albino shikigami of a snake slithered and uncoiled itself from the socket of her eye, its jaws snapping apart as it hurdled its way for Kagome.

Perhaps she didn’t possess the finesse of Kikyo when repelled the spell, but Kagome would get the job done nevertheless. She found herself swinging the bow as hard as she could, successfully repelling the damned serpent that flung its way back into Tsubaki’s eye. “Not again, Scaley!” 

The dark priestess’ screams were endless as she staggered backwards, clutching her face as she slumped to her knees—Naraku’s gaze unmoving and seemingly unconcerned. 

Ah Un’s roar was nearly deafening as one of its jaws opened to spark with electricity and the other released a mass of dark clouds that hid the sight of Kagome and the dragon. She could not see the trio of opponents before her either.

“Kagura!” Naraku barked. Surely, she would be smart enough to dispel the fog for him because they could not risk the girl escaping. He believed this to be some sort of means for her to escape.

He was wrong… 

He didn’t anticipate two things. Kagura’s deceptive nature when an opponent was even remotely close to killing him, and the fact that just because Kagome could not see him…did not mean she couldn’t sense the jewel, and she released an arrow that streaked through the fog and collided with him in a burst of spiritual energy….completely taking one of his arm off.

If this continued he’d be hit again, and Kagura was finally backed into a corner. She closed her fan to release a gale of wind to clear the fog…but she stopped. Another arrow buried itself into Naraku’s chest with a second flare of spiritual energy that nearly shattered their eardrums. Something was different about this arrow however. It was strong enough to pierce his chest and reach the Sacred Jewel within.

At this rate, the blasted jewel was going to be purified—and he along with it! She was not strong enough to destroy him, and perhaps the girl knew it deep down. One thing she could do was purify the jewel shards, and it seemed she was hell bent on it.

The fog cleared as Ah Un’s opposing head opened its jaws, his maw crackling with electricity. The light became vibrant and bright, so bright that it was blinding. Kagome closed her eyes tightly, and a beam of lightning shot out that blasted straight through Tsubaki whom was attempting to regain her composure. 

The dark priestess was dead, her eyes and mouth agape in death, her body still riddled with the spasms of Ah Un’s electricity.

The Spider had not even thought of activating his barrier with such a weakling before him, and he was forced into its retreat to save himself….but the damage had already been done. It took concentration to dispel the purifying energy, and his only other defense, Kagura was upon her feather and drifting away to safety.

One more, one more and she could do it, because Naraku stood paralyzed, battling against the purity of the jewel that threatened to take over. His hand shot out towards her, a mass of tentacles that was also blasted apart by Ah Un who assaulted the barrier with every beam of electricity the dragon had—as if sensing the bastard’s weakness.

He did not have to continue the assault for long, because now that the pressure was on, no way was Kagome allowing Naraku to flee from her. “Please hit the mark!” Please dissolve the barrier so that this part of her nightmare was over….Another arrow was released, shining brightly before it…vanished…right there on the spot.

It disappeared.

Kagome’s lips fell ajar in disbelief, but she did not have to wonder about its absence for long. It appeared, inside of the bastard’s barrier, as if seeking the jewel beyond their physical realm. The screech of its powers echoed as it took apart more chunks of Naraku who could no longer sustain himself. He was a mass of flesh inside the barrier—the Sacred Jewel burning hot white, piercing the gaping holes of the barrier and his body as both began to dissolve!

The wind whipped about rapidly as his evil aroura was burst apart, and suddenly Kagome’s view of their imploding enemy was hidden by the sight of….

Sesshomaru. He’d found her! Rather, he smelled Naraku and followed the commotion. She barely had time to even speak his name because Naraku’s screams of agony were drowning out the viscous and loud surge of spiritual power that was overtaking him. 

The Spider sought his retreat, darting backwards as he grew hidden in a tornadic plume of miasma as he sublimated from the ground…but it was all in vein

The dark mist of poison dispersed, the river falling eerily silent as the sacred jewel rolled across the soft grass….returning to its usual inactive pallor.

She’d defeated Naraku on her own…


End file.
